Inside the Article:
The time for pitcher Franklin Perez with the Detroit Tigers officially ended yesterday when it was announced that he was released from the organization along with infielder Johan Camargo and right-handed reliever Chavez Fernander. And his now-former teammate Jake Rogers is looking back fondly upon his time in Detroit.
Franklin Perez was originally acquired for Justin Verlander
The right-handed Perez was the key prospect that the Tigers and former GM Al Avila acquired in the deal that sent Verlander to Houston. However, he's dealt with a myriad of injuries, with the latest having required surgery in May of 2021. He'd be waived by the team but would re-sign on a minor league contract this past May.
Jake Rogers has nothing but good things to say about Perez
“He was incredible,” said catcher Jake Rogers, who was also included in the Verlander deal. “It was impressive. It was fun to catch. For as young as he was, he had all three or four (pitches) that he could command. That was the difference.”
Rogers appeared in 15 1/2 innings in 2023, posting a 6.89 ERA with 12 walks and seven strikeouts.
“He had plus-plus stuff in the zone,” Rogers continued. “On top of that, he's like the most incredible person you've ever met in your life. It's tough hearing that. It's sad because he never got over the injury bug. He was fun to catch. You showed up every day and game-planned, but you didn't really have to. He could throw whatever he wanted because guys couldn't hit it.”
Key Points
- Franklin Perez was officially released from the Detroit Tigers
- He was the key prospect Detroit received in return for Justin Verlander from the Houston Astros
- Catcher Jake Rogers had nothing but good things to say about Perez
Bottom Line: Perez just didn't work out in Detroit
Unfortunately, the reality of professional sports is that sometimes, things don't work out the way that you envision. Too often, that was the theme of moves made by Avila, and the fans are going to be resentful for quite a long time.
In the meantime, we hope to see Perez able to continue his professional baseball career elsewhere after things didn't work out in the Motor City.
