The White Sox are expected to have a payroll under $100 million again next season, meaning some tough decisions lie ahead. While Luis Robert Jr.’s $20 million club option will play a major role in determining financial flexibility, the team must also decide whether to bring back veteran starter Martín Pérez.

Pérez has a $10 million mutual option for 2026, with a $1.5 million buyout. After signing a one-year, $5 million deal over the offseason, the 34-year-old southpaw quickly emerged as one of the White Sox most effective arms in the rotation before landing on the 60-day just five starts into the season.

That forearm strain he suffered in Boston was initially feared to be season-ending. Pérez dodged Tommy John surgery, but the original timeline had him shelved until September.

But Pérez, who’s been vocal about his belief in the White Sox since signing, made it back to the mound on Aug. 20, and in classic Pérez fashion, gave his team a shot. Against the Braves, he came out of the bullpen and allowed just one run on three hits, striking out five over 5 1/3 innings.

Following the game, told reporters he hopes to stick around next season.

“They know already. I think next year’s going to be a good year for this organization, and if they give me the chance, I want to be part of the good years,” Pérez said.

This came after he proclaimed that the roster has what it takes to compete during Spring Training, then later doubled down four games into the regular season, saying the White Sox were “going to be contenders” even though people don’t believe in them.

It’s clear Pérez has enjoyed his time on the South Side. The question now is whether he’s worth a $10 million investment. He finished with a 3.56 ERA over 56 innings, posting the second-highest strikeout rate of his career at 19.3%. Opponents also struggled to square him up, producing an average exit velocity of 88.2 mph, good for the 88th percentile in MLB.

However, the numbers are slightly misleading. Pérez’s expected ERA sits at 5.32, with opponents owning a .259 expected batting average against him. That and the extended injury stint put Chris Getz in an unenviable position. Not only did Perez miss multiple months with a forearm strain he also ended the year on the 15-day IL due to a shoulder strain. As a result, the 56 innings he threw were the fewest for Perez since 2014.

It’s unlikely the team exercises its half of the $10 million mutual option, especially considering Pérez’s last one-year deal in Pittsburgh was worth $8 million, and he’s now coming off an injury-plagued season. It has also been over a decade since both sides of a mutual option have been exercised in the MLB.

The White Sox are projected to have roughly $20 million to $30 million to spend this offseason. If the White Sox exercise Robert’s option, their already limited resources will shrink even further. With holes at both corner infield spots and in the bullpen, committing more than $10 million to Pérez would make it tough to patch the rest of the roster.

The White Sox also have plenty of pitching depth with Drew Thorpe and Ky Bush expected to return from injury and top prospects Hagen Smith and Noah Shultz waiting in the wings.

However, Pérez can still offer plenty of value to a young White Sox rotation. The veteran has pitched in winning environments, earning an All-Star nod in 2022 with a 2.89 ERA and capturing a World Series ring with the Rangers a year later. Across 14 big-league seasons, he’s compiled a 4.41 ERA and a 15.7 WAR, the kind of résumé that can steady a staff still finding its footing. The White Sox bullpen was also tasked with covering the most innings in baseball last season. If Perez can stay healthy, he has proven he can help eat innings.

In the end, it will come down to the price tag and how well he recovers from the shoulder strain. Pérez’s extended injury layoff could make it harder for him to secure a deal larger than the $5 million contract he signed with the White Sox. Still, he proved effective enough that other teams might consider taking a flier on him.

If the White Sox can re-sign him for under $10 million, it would certainly be worth bringing him back into the fold.