Cionel Pérez’s role as a high-leverage reliever didn’t go as planned

Cionel Pérez has pitched in 60+ games out of the Orioles bullpen in each of the last three seasons. But only in the first of those, in 2022, did he see sustained success. That year he was a revelation, using a high 90s fastball and very good slider to pitch to just a 1.90 ERA. It feels like in the two years since the Orioles have been trying to recapture that magic. I don’t think it’s going to happen.

I don’t say that lightly because Pérez is an incredibly easy player to root for. He has a very interesting origin story centered around his decision to defect from Cuba, the sacrifices he and his family made, and how he ended up with the Orioles. His emotions on the mound are electric and…