The Chicago White Sox had a tough call to make heading into free agency regarding veteran starting pitcher Martín Pérez.

Pérez held a $10 million mutual option for the 2026 season and had previously expressed interest in returning to Chicago — even after missing most of 2025 due to injury.

When he was healthy, Pérez was steady. He posted a 3.54 ERA across 56 innings and served as a veteran presence for an otherwise young and inexperienced White Sox rotation.

That rotation remains crowded entering 2026 — but it’s hardly solidified. Shane Smith, Davis Martin, and Sean Burke all figure to be in the mix, yet the White Sox still need to determine who fills out the remaining spots. More importantly, they’ll need to find legitimate upgrades over what they rolled out last season.

Which is why the decision on Pérez was such a tough one.

As it turns out, though, he made it for them. Pérez declined his end of the mutual option, electing to become a free agent rather than returning to the South Side for $10 million.

It’s a surprising move — and one that might not work out quite like he hopes.

Spotrac currently estimates Pérez’s market value at just under $6 million on a one-year deal. He’ll be hard-pressed to find a $10 million payday as a soon-to-be 35-year-old starter coming off an injury and armed with underwhelming peripherals.

The advanced numbers back that up. Pérez’s expected ERA in 2025 sat at 5.32, and his 15 percent barrel rate ranked among the worst in baseball.

I viewed Pérez as a perfectly fine placeholder in the rotation — especially if some of the younger arms aren’t ready for the big leagues by Opening Day.

The White Sox have several pitchers working their way back from Tommy John surgery, including Drew Thorpe, Ky Bush, and Mason Adams. They also have young prospects like Tanner McDougal and Shane Murphy, both of whom could be added to the 40-man roster this month to protect them from Rule 5 Draft eligibility.

Maybe Pérez doesn't care about the money, and he's willing to take less to pitch for a contender. But when asked earlier this year, Pérez said he viewed the White Sox as a contender in 2026.

His loss. Betting on himself might not play out the way he envisions — but it does free up an extra $10 million for the White Sox to chase a more impactful rotation upgrade this winter.

Hopefully they use it wisely.