"They legit coveted this 18-year-old lefty" - Pirates paying Martin Perez's prorated $1.3 million salary after trading to Padres, per insider

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded veteran left-handed pitcher Martin Perez to the San Diego Padres. They will pay half of his salary, which roughly translates to $1.3 million. That number may not be that big in the day and age of $300 million contracts, but it is significant.

The Pirates always had one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. There are 30 MLB teams and the Pirates are one of the clubs that prefers to spend less if at all possible. However, despite their financial preferences, they're paying for Perez. Why is that? Because they got back Ronaldys Jimenez.

Reporter Dean Kovacevic said via X, formerly known as Twitter:

"The Pirates are paying half of Martin Pérez's remaining prorated salary, a figure of roughly $1.3 million, because they legit coveted this 18-year-old lefty they picked up from the Padres. Scouts are giddy."

Those in the Pirates organization are pleased with the addition of Gomez even if it cost them. He is young, but the talent is there. They believe he can be a future star, so they're willing to make some concessions for his services.

Can pitching lead the Padres to the postseason?

The San Diego Padres have built a superb bullpen with trades after adding Dylan Cease to a rotation with Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish earlier in the year.

They are firmly in the postseason race, though catching the Los Angeles Dodgers for the division is a little harder to imagine. They're just 5.5 games out, but the Dodgers have a lot of firepower. Perez's addition gives them a better chance to hold onto one of the three wild card spots.

They have several young pitching prospects and other top-flight pitchers to bounce an offense that doesn't have as much firepower as others, despite Luis Arraez's arrival.

Adding a veteran like Martin Perez only aids that, and he will have invaluable wisdom to impart to the rest of the staff from his 18 seasons in the MLB.