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Former Royals pitcher Odalis Pérez dies at the age of 44

The left-hander pitched for the Royals in 2006 and 2007.

Kansas City Royals v Tampa Bay Devil Rays Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images

Former Royals pitcher Odalis Pérez has tragically died at the age of 44, according to reporter Héctor Gómez. Pérez pitched for the Royals in 2006 and 2007, making 38 starts. He won 73 games in ten big league seasons with the Braves, Dodgers, Royals, and Nationals, and was an All-Star in 2002, winning 15 games that year with 4.2 rWAR.

Pérez was originally signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Braves in 1994, the year Dayton Moore began with the organization as a scout. Moore would acquire Pérez just a month after taking over as general manager for the Royals, getting him from the Dodgers with minor leaguers Blake Johnson and Julio Pimentel for pitcher Elmer Dessens. Pérez went 2-4 with a 5.64 ERA in 12 starts down the stretch, and was third on the team in wins, innings pitched, and games started in 2007, when he went 8-11 with a 5.57 ERA.