The Mets have released former Pirate Oliver Perez. Pirates fans remember Perez as an extremely talented, though often extremely frustrating, pitcher who racked up 239 strikeouts as a 22-year-old in 2004 before flopping completely the following year.
↵In 2006, Perez was shipped to the Mets with Roberto Hernandez for Xavier Nady, and he managed to put up a couple of respectable years in the Mets' rotation despite ongoing problems with walks and with his mechanics. That period ended in 2009, though, and in 2009 and 2010 he posted two dismal seasons, culminating with his refusal to allow the Mets to send him to the minors. He also was terrible this spring.
↵Perez still has to be a fascinating project if you're a pitching coach, because he's only 29 and has a history of racking up strikeouts. At this point, though, he has been bad for long enough that it's hard to see him getting another chance, unless he spends quite awhile proving himself elsewhere.
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