As the Astros sought to pare their 40-man roster down last week, we saw the club swing a small deal with the Reds to clear a spot, exchanging longtime farmhand Cionel Perez, a lefthanded pitcher, for low minors catcher Luke Berryhill.
Perez had at times been a top prospect in the Houston organization, peaking in top 100 lists at one point, but was derailed by numerous injuries and wasn’t able to recapture his best stuff. At his best, Perez has shown significant velocity from the left side with as many as three quality offspeed pitches, headlined by his slider.