When the starting rotation is full of young but inexperienced young players, adding a veteran is crucial to its pair. That's exactly what the White Sox did on Wednesday.

Sources told MLB's Mark Feinand that the Chicago White Sox agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with free agent Martin Perez, a left-handed pitcher, and that the team has yet to confirm the deal pending a medical exam to be officially announced.

Perez, who will turn 34 on April 4, has spent 13 years in the major leagues, including nine seasons with the Texas Rangers. He averaged 4.44 over 1,500 innings pitched and won 90 games. The Venezuelan was recently named an All-Star in 2022 when he had a 2.89 ERA over 32 starts for the Texas Rangers.

Perez spent last year between Pittsburgh and San Diego and has a 4.53 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 135 innings. He started 16 times for the Buccaneers, had a 5.20 ERA on 83 innings and went 2-5, but he missed most of June with a groin injury. During his injury, he was traded to the Padres and was given a healthy and better version of Perez after the Padres returned.

In 10 starts in San Diego, Perez had a 3.46 ERA in 52 innings and a 3-1 loss, with the Padres winning his first six starts and winning eight of the 10 games he pitched. In four of his last six starts, Perez allowed opponents to score just one point or less.

This isn't the winter for the White Sox to go all-in on a top-tier free agent. It is clear that the team's focus for the 2025 season is to continue to rebuild and plan for the future. This includes providing young pitchers such as Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin, Drew Thorpe, and Sean Burke with plenty of opportunities to start the pitch.

Last month, the team signed Bryce Wilson, who has been pitching in the league for seven seasons, but Perez is the kind of veteran starting pitcher who can be paired perfectly with a young team.

With the arrival of the White Sox youth storm, there may be a situation where the rookies hit the wall. Not only can experienced players provide leadership, but Perez can also bring the stability that may be needed every five days. In 2022, he pitched 196.1 innings. Over the next two seasons, Perez won't be able to pitch that many innings per season, but he's proven that he can be the player the team needs to ensure that the bullpen doesn't get overwhelmed as the young pitchers get more opportunities.

Perez can also be versatile in his role. If the starting rotation doesn't suit him, or if a starting spot is to be made for another young player, Perez can head to the bullpen to continue showing his leadership. He played 15 games for the Rangers in 2023 with an ERA of 2.70 to help the team make a World Series impact and possibly succeed.