PEORIA, Ariz. -- Start spreading the news. An awful experience in New York does not have to leave behind permanent effects. Sometimes it can lead to better things.
Left-hander Oliver Perez had the best season of his rejuvenated career in 2014 -- four years, a role change and almost a full continent removed from the big, bitter apple.
Perez's is a story of perseverance. Released in 2011 after two tough years with the Mets, even though he still was owed $12 million, Perez found himself back in the minors. But after he regained his health and his velocity, he resuscitated his career as a reliever. It may not have been the path Perez would have chosen, but he was determined not to be done with a game that brought almost instant success in the majors at age 20.
"I love to play baseball -- sometimes it is hard, sometimes it is easy. You just have to be a grown man to take the negative and the positive at the same time," Perez said.
Perez, 33, was among the most effective relievers in the National League last season, his first year with the Diamondbacks. Perez went 3-4 with a 2.91 ERA in 68 appearances. He set a career high in appearances in his second full season as a reliever and averaged 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings, seventh among NL relievers.
The D-backs bullpen is in a stage of flux with health issues surrounding Addison Reed, Brad Ziegler, Matt Stites and David Hernandez. But Perez is set in his role as a late-inning setup man. He is more than a situational lefty. While traditionally a touch better against left-handed hitters, Perez held right-handers to a .184 batting average. Only Cincinnati's Aroldis Chapman (.118) was appreciably better among lefties.
Left-handers Matt Reynolds, non-roster invitee Dan Runzler and Vidal Nuno and Andrew Chafin remain in contention for bullpen roles, with Reynolds and Runzler seen as one-inning options and the others viewed as long men.
D-backs manager Chip Hale was the Mets' third base coach in 2010 and 2011 when Perez's struggles were exacerbated by a balky right knee. Perez was on the disabled list twice in 2009 with patellar tendinitis before he had knee surgery; he missed almost two months in 2010 with the same issue.
"That was hard," Perez said. "Sometimes when you are hurt, you are 60 percent (healthy) but you want to get back in. It's hard to stand around and see everybody else play. Sometimes you throw a bullpen and feel good, but as a young guy you have to learn to take it easy and not say you are ready to go until you are 100 percent."
Hale: "He had a tough time there for awhile, and he made himself into a really good left-handed reliever. He can get righties or lefties out for me."
Perez returned to the major leagues in 2012 with Seattle, going 1-3 with a 2.12 ERA in 33 games after being promoted from Triple-A Tacoma at midseason. He was 3-3, 3.74 in his first full season as a reliever with the Mariners in 2013, when he struck out 74 in 53 innings.
Perez had 76 strikeouts in 58-2/3 innings with the D-backs last season after signing a month into spring training, and he had a dominant 12-week stretch starting May 11, when he gave up four earned runs in 40-2/3 innings over 45 appearances. He had 12 of his career-high 15 holds during that run, when his ERA was 0.89.
"That's the key as a bullpen guy, get appearances and keep the team in the game," Perez said. "The goal is try to be consistent all year.
The biggest change in going from the rotation to the bullpen is adapting to the routine, Perez said. He picked the brains of other relievers for advice.
"First of all, you have to know your body," Perez said. "If you feel tired, don't do anything. If you feel good, you learn how to work out. The adjustment is more about the workout. As a starter, you have five days to recover. In the bullpen, you have to know when you can lift, when you can run, when you can do long toss, when you can shut it down. That's what you have to learn."
Part of it is looking ahead, too. If the D-backs are facing the Dodgers and Adrian Gonzalez, for example, Perez might taper his pregame regimen in anticipation of being used more often in that series.
With health this season, Perez will finish with more career relief outings than starts. He made 195 starts with San Diego, Pittsburgh and the Mets, including a 15-win season with the Mets in 2007. He enters the season with 173 appearances out of the bullpen.
"It is kind of more fun to play almost every day," Perez said. "That's a lot of games and a lot of key situations. I love that."
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