Chase De Jong, a 25-year-old righthander who posted a 3.57 ERA in four starts for the Twins last season, was designated for assignment on Wednesday.

The move was made in order to add a lefthander to the Twins starting rotation in 2019. Martin Perez, a fixture in the Texas Rangers’ rotation since arriving in the majors in 2012, on Wednesday signed the one-year, $4 million contract he agreed to earlier this month.

The Associated Press reported Perez will receive $3.5 million this year, and the team has a $7.5 million option for 2020 with a $500,000 buyout. The option price can increase to $8.5 million based on innings pitched in 2019. He also could earn $500,000 in performance bonuses this season.

Perez, who will turn 28 during the season’s second week, owns a 4.67 ERA in 141 career games with Texas. He became a free agent when the Rangers, off a career-worst 6.22 ERA in 2018, declined to exercise a $7.5 million option for 2019. Perez, who suffered a broken elbow in his non-pitching arm in December 2017, missed 10 weeks early in the 2018 season and made only two starts in September.

A native of Venezuela, Perez agreed to a contract last week and attended TwinsFest last weekend while in Minneapolis to undergo a physical exam.

De Jong was acquired in a trade-deadline deal that sent reliever Zach Duke to Seattle in July. He made a promising Minnesota debut, holding the Royals to one hit over four shutout innings on Sept. 9, and he finished the season with 13 strikeouts in 17â…” innings for the Twins. The Twins have seven days to trade, re-sign or release him.