Written by Adam Burke

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Per just about everybody baseball-related on Twitter and per official Cleveland Indians team release, Rafael Perez has been designated for assignment to make room for Nick Hagadone on the 40-man roster. Perez, who missed nearly all of the 2012 season with various injuries, was a possible non-tender candidate, meaning that the Indians would decline the option to offer Perez a contract, despite being under team control as an arbitration-eligible player. The deadline to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players is later this week, but the Indians opted to cut ties with Perez earlier.

The team will have the opportunity to find a trade partner or outright release the left hander. Perez was a star for the 2007 Indians, serving as the team's late-inning left handed specialist, posting a 1.78 ERA in 44 appearances with a K/9 rate of 9.2. That was the high water mark of Perez's career, though he was still a serviceable reliever, posting ERAs between 3.25 and 3.54 in three of the next four seasons. The biggest blip was a 7.31 ERA in 2009.

Perez ends his Indians career with a 21-12 record, with three saves and a 3.64 ERA, in 338 appearances, spanning 329 innings. 

Only two players, Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera, remain from the 2007 Central Division champion Cleveland Indians.

Hagadone, who replaced Perez on the 40-man roster, was put on a disqualification list following the altercation between his left hand and a wall in the Indians clubhouse in July. He broke his arm in the incident. While hurt, Hagadone filed a grievance against the Indians for their decision to put him on the disqualification list. That grievance is still pending.