Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced the following transactions:

• Left-handed pitcher Martín Pérez accepts Rangers’ Qualifying Offer for 2023 season.
• Right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana traded to Atlanta in exchange for cash considerations.
• Contracts of infielder Luisangel Acuña, outfielder Dustin Harris, right-handed pitcher Zak Kent, infielder Jonathan Ornelas, right-handed pitcher Owen White, and right-handed pitcher Cole Winn selected to Major League roster.

Pérez, 31, produced a career year in his return to the Rangers in 2022, earning his first career selection to the MLB All-Star Game. He went 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA (63 ER/196.1 IP) and career-high 169 strikeouts over 32 starts, finishing the season ranked among the American League leaders in groundball pct. (2nd, 51.6%), home runs allowed per 9 innings (2nd, 0.50), starts (T3rd), quality starts (T3rd, 23), innings (5th), and ERA (8th). His ERA was the 8th-lowest qualifying figure in Texas history (1972-2022) and the 2nd-lowest by a Ranger in the last 39 seasons (beg. 1984) to only Yu Darvish's 2.83 ERA in 2013.

Pérez becomes the first player to accept the qualifying offer from the Rangers since the process began in 2012, as each of the previous four players to receive the offer from Texas elected to reject it: OF Ian Desmond (2016), RHP Yovani Gallardo (2015), OF Nelson Cruz (2013), OF Josh Hamilton (2012).

Santana went 3-8 with one save and a 5.22 ERA (34 ER/58.2 IP) over 63 appearances/one start for Texas this season. The 26-year-old has posted a 5-12 record, 4.58 ERA (50 ER/98.1 IP), and 92 strikeouts across 102 games/one start with the Rangers since he was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 17, 2021.

The 6th-best prospect in the Rangers farm system according to Baseball America, Acuña posted a .277/.369/.426/.795 (99-357) slash line, 11 home runs, 47 RBI, and 40 stolen bases over 91 games between High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco this season. This winter, the 20-year-old batted .238 (19-18) with 2 home runs, 11 RBI, and 8 steals over 21 games for the 2022 Arizona Fall League champion Surprise Saguaros.

Harris, 23, batted .257/.346/.471/.817 (85-331) with 17 home runs, 66 RBI, and 19 stolen bases over 85 games with Double-A Frisco in his first exposure to the upper levels of the minor leagues. He was selected to participate in the 2022 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on July 17 at Dodger Stadium, going 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. Harris ended the season rated among the organization’s top-10 prospects by both MLB Pipeline (no. 9) and Baseball America (no. 10).

The 24-year-old Kent went 3-4 with a 3.94 ERA (48 ER/109.2 IP) over 24 starts at Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, logging the 4th-most innings and 12th-most strikeouts (110) of any Texas minor league pitcher this season. He ended the 2022 campaign rated as the no. 25 overall prospect in the Rangers’ farm system by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America.

Ornelas, 22, enjoyed a breakout campaign this season, batting .299 (157-525) with a career-high 14 home runs, 64 RBI, and 14 stolen bases over 123 games with Double-A Frisco. His 157 hits led the Texas League by a wide margin (next: 141) and tied the RoughRiders franchise record for a single season. The organization’s 2022 Defender of the Year, Ornelas is currently ranked as the Rangers’ 21st-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

The 23-year-old White combined to go 9-2 with a 3.59 ERA (32 ER/80.1 IP) and 104 strikeouts over 15 games/14 starts between High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco in 2022. His 11.65 strikeouts per 9.0 innings figure ranked second among Texas farmhands (min. 80.0 IP) behind RHP Emiliano Teodo (12.27). A second round selection by Texas in the 2018 MLB Draft, White was touted as the no. 5 overall prospect in the Rangers’ farm system in mid-season rankings published by Baseball America.

Winn, who turns 25 years old on Nov. 25, went 9-8 with a 6.51 ERA (88 ER/121.2 IP) over 28 starts with Triple-A Round Rock this season. He set career highs and ranked among Pacific Coast League leaders in starts (T1st), wins (T4th), strikeouts (T6th, 123), and innings (7th), but also led the circuit in walks (87) and wild pitches (12-tied). The right-hander is currently ranked as Texas’ 10th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline and 13th-best prospect by Baseball America.

Kent and Winn were selected from the Triple-A Round Rock roster, while Acuña, Harris, Ornelas, and White were selected from the Double-A Frisco roster.

Following today’s transactions, the Rangers are now at the 40-man limit on the club’s Major League roster.