Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Tuesday that Perez will be included on the team's Opening Day roster, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Though Perez has been with the organization for less than two weeks after signing a minor-league contract March 19, he'll end up breaking camp with the big club as the No. 2 catcher behind Shea Langeliers while Manny Pina (wrist) opens the season on the injured list. While Langeliers is expected to see the overwhelming share of playing time behind the dish, Perez may bring more fantasy upside to the table than the typical backup catcher. The 32-year-old is coming off back-to-back 31-home run campaigns with the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate in 2021 and the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate in 2022. Expect Oakland to formally add Perez to the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster shortly before Thursday's game against the Angels.