Perez, 34, was a starter back then. He will most likely come out of the bullpen as a setup man and left-handed specialist. Perez has been a reliever the past four seasons, during which he appeared in 253 games with a 3.67 ERA and 238 strikeouts in 196 1/3 innings. Perez joins Felipe Rivero as the lefties in the Washington bullpen.
Perez is best remembered as a starter with the Pirates and Mets. His best year in that role was 2004, when he won 12 games and had a 2.98 ERA with Pittsburgh. He went 15-10 with a 3.