Nats Sign Perez, Claim Hyde

With Spring Training winding down, the Nats made a couple of moves this afternoon, adding Oliver Perez via a minor-league deal and claiming LHP Lee Hyde from Atlanta on waivers. To make room for Hyde, Stephen Strasburg was officially placed on the 60-day DL, a move that was widely expected. Hyde was immediately optioned to AAA Syracuse.

Perez will report to minor-league camp to work with his former pitching coach, and current Nationals pitching coordinator “Spin” Williams. There are reports that Perez will be assigned to AAA to start the season, a move that could cost a prospect some playing time or impede his progress or perhaps even cost someone a job.

Hyde is a 26-year-old left-handed reliever that split time between AA and AAA last season but was not listed in either the 2010 or 2011 editions of Baseball America or John Sickels’s books. The lone scouting report that I could locate is from his 2009 AFL stint, in which he was described as having an 88-91 fastball and low-80s slider that was particularly effective against LHBs.

Hyde was originally drafted in 2006 (4th Round) and underwent TJ surgery in 2007. In 2010, he posted a 3.41 ERA overall but struggled with his command at AAA, walking 12 in 21 innings pitched over 22 appearances. All eight saves were earned at AA Mississippi.