Fernando Perez just got demoted two levels by the Blue Jays, a rare drop for a struggling pitcher.
Toronto sent the right-hander from Double-A New Hampshire all the way down to Single-A Dunedin, according to the MiLB transactions log.
That's not the usual step-down move. Skipping High-A entirely says the organization saw something that needed a bigger reset.
Perez signed with Toronto out of Nicaragua in January 2022 for just $10,000, a modest bonus for a player who's actually pitched well over his career.
He spent his first two years in Rookie Ball before reaching Single-A in 2024, then climbed to High-A and Double-A last year.
This year, in his second stint at Double-A, things fell apart. Four starts produced an 0-1 record and a 7.11 ERA.
For his career, Perez sits at 12-16 with a 3.64 ERA across 70 games and 69 starts in his fifth pro season, a track record that makes this year's numbers look like an outlier.
Other farm system moves Toronto made this week
Toronto wasn't done shuffling the system. Second baseman Dameury Pena got promoted to High-A Vancouver from Single-A Dunedin.
Pena came over as part of the return in the Jeff Hoffman trade with the Twins. He wasn't the headline name in that deal, but he's been productive.
He hit .318 with four RBIs over 12 games in Dunedin before the bump, according to the Dunedin Blue Jays.
Right-hander Daniel Guerra also got fast-tracked, jumping to Triple-A Buffalo just two weeks after moving up from High-A to Double-A.
Toronto signed Guerra out of Venezuela in June 2022 for a $40,000 bonus. He's 4-3 with a 3.00 ERA across 19 games and 15 starts this season.
Three different moves, three different directions, all in the same week. That's the reality of running a farm system during a stretch when the big-league club is fighting for its playoff life too.
Whether Perez rediscovers his form in Dunedin, or this becomes a longer reset, is the one storyline worth checking back on.
Was sending Fernando Perez down two levels the right call by the Blue Jays?
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