BOSTON -- In a clunker of a start on Thursday night that was not at all representative of the way Martín Pérez pitched for the Red Sox this season, here was the lingering question when the 13-1 loss to the Orioles was over: Will Pérez be back in 2021?

Boston holds a $6.25 million option on the veteran left-hander, which is a reasonable price for a No. 5 starter.

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This season, due to the absences of Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez, and the offseason departures of David Price and Rick Porcello, Pérez was asked to be a No. 2 starter.

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It wasn’t really fair based on his career track record.

Pérez, who allowed nine hits and six runs over four innings, finished the season with a 4.50 ERA. However, he allowed three runs or fewer in eight of his 12 starts. This was one of just two starts in which he gave up more than four runs.

“Tonight was not the best outing, but I was competing to the last pitch. I don’t think one start makes a difference,” Pérez said. “I think I’ve been doing my job all year and I’m healthy -- that’s important. The way I finished the season was not the way I expected. That’s part of the game.”

If nothing else, Pérez was fairly consistent, and he could be well-suited to pitch in the fourth or fifth slot next season.

“He made all his outings, and I like what he does on the field and I like what he does off the field,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. “I like what he does with the leadership of the Latin players, so we really enjoyed having him here, and I like watching him pitch.”

Pérez is hopeful to return, and he has mentioned numerous times how much he loves pitching for Boston.

“I want to be back next season,” he said. “I feel at home here.”

Ultimately, that will be up to the Red Sox if the union goes beyond the first season.

“I loved what he did,” Roenicke said. “With Eddie coming back and Chris at some time filling in there and figuring out [where to slot] these young guys ... but with Martín, I’m sure [chief baseball officer] Chaim [Bloom] is going to look at that and try to figure out how the fit is.”

In his postgame Zoom session, Pérez went out of his way to thank the fans -- even though they weren’t permitted to come to Fenway Park in 2020.

“One thing that I want to say to the fans, thank you for all the support and all the good messages they sent to me on my Instagram and my Twitter,” Pérez said. “It was amazing, and I just want to appreciate all the fans for their support. I know it was not the way we were supposed to play, but we were just trying to do our best.”

JBJ’s last home game?
With the Red Sox playing at an empty Fenway Park in their home finale, there was less fanfare than there otherwise would have been for long-time center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who is eligible for free agency this offseason.

Bradley went 1-for-4 and struck out to end the game.

He will likely start all three games in Atlanta this weekend to close out the season. Bradley has finished the season strong and has a .772 OPS in 201 plate appearances to go along with his stellar defense in center.

“Pretty special guy,” Roenicke said. “We'll see what happens after this season, but I've sure had a great experience with him and coaching him and now managing him. He goes about his business as professional as you can get. He's a great guy on the field, off the field, he does some great things for this club and for the community. Hopefully things work out.”