| Cionel Pérez | |
| Team: | Baltimore Orioles |
| Number: | 58 |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Birth Date: | 21 April 1996 |
| Birth Place: | Havana, Cuba |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Left |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | July 11 |
| Debutyear: | 2018 |
| Debutteam: | Houston Astros |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Statyear: | 2024 season |
| Stat1label: | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value: | 15–6 |
| Stat2label: | Earned run average |
| Stat2value: | 3.80 |
| Stat3label: | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value: | 197 |
| Teams: |
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Cionel Félix Pérez Viera (born April 21, 1996) is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). In 2016 he signed with the Houston Astros as an international free agent. Perez made his MLB debut in 2018 for the Astros. He has also played for the Cincinnati Reds.
Pérez played two seasons for Matanzas of the Cuban National Series. In September 2016, he signed a deal worth $5.15 million with the Houston Astros as an international free agent.[1] The contract was voided in October due an issue in his physical.[2] On December 9, Pérez agreed to a new deal with the Astros worth $2 million.[3] [4]
Pérez made his professional debut with the Single–A Quad Cities River Bandits in 2017. He was later that season promoted to the High–A Buies Creek Astros and Double–A Corpus Christi Hooks. In 21 total games (16 starts) between the three clubs, he posted a 6-4 record and 4.13 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP.[5] [6] The Astros added Pérez to their 40-man roster after the season, in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[7] Pérez made his Major League debut on July 11, 2018.[8] In 2019, he played for the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Astros, High–A Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and Triple–A Round Rock Express, going 3–1 with a 4.94 ERA and 58 strikeouts over innings. Pérez appeared in 5 games for the Astros in 2019, going 1–1 with a 10.00 ERA and 7 strikeouts over 9 innings. In 2020 for Houston, Pérez made 7 appearances, registering a 2.84 ERA with 8 strikeouts in innings of work.[9]
On January 23, 2021, the Astros traded Pérez to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Luke Berryhill.[10] Pérez made 25 appearances for Cincinnati in 2021, compiling a 1–2 record and 6.38 ERA with 25 strikeouts across 24 innings pitched.[11]
The Baltimore Orioles claimed Pérez off waivers on November 24, 2021. On June 12, 2022, Pérez recorded his first career save in a 10–7 win over the Kansas City Royals.[12] Pérez made 66 appearances for Baltimore in 2022, pitching to a stellar 7–1 record and 1.40 ERA with 55 strikeouts in innings pitched.
Perez is married and has two children.[13]