Pérez is a 1995 graduate of Damian David Ortiz High School in his homeland. He is currently single and has a son, Odalis, Jr. Pérez has participated in community baseball clinics for the Dodgers and the Manny Mota International Foundation and has also visited schools in Los Angeles area as part of the Dodger Jams program.
Professional career
Atlanta Braves
Pérez joined the Braves in September 1998, going 0-1. However, he won a game for the Braves in the 1998 postseason, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to earn a playoff win without ever having won a regular season game. On May 2, 1999, Pérez got his first regular-season victory pitching 5.2 innings and allowing two earned runs with seven strikeouts, as Atlanta rolled to a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. On January 15, 2002, he was traded by the Braves with Andrew Brown and Brian Jordan to the Dodgers for Gary Sheffield.
In a two-year period from 2002-, he won 27 games, which was tied for the third most wins by a left-handed pitcher in the National League, joining Tom Glavine behind Randy Johnson and Al Leiter, and 10th most in the majors. Beside this, he was the first Dodger left-hander to register at least 12 wins in consecutive seasons since Fernando Valenzuela accomplished the feat between and . During the same period, Pérez also had the sixth-most strikeouts mark among all majors lefties, ranking fourth in the National League behind Johnson, Randy Wolf and Leiter. Also in those two seasons, Pérez allowed two earned runs or less in 33 of his 62 starts, being selected to the All-Star game in 2002 — a season in which he pitched a pair of one-hitter games. A career highlight for Pérez occurred on August 28, 2002, as he defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium with a score of 1–0, during which he pitched 8.0 scoreless innings and slugged his first career home run for the only run of the game. With this victory, he became the first Major League pitcher to win a 1–0 game and hit the game-winning homer since the Dodgers’ Bob Welch accomplished the feat on June 17, 1983. This game also marked the beginning of closer Éric Gagné's record-breaking streak, the first game of 84 consecutive saves. Pérez had 18 no decisions in 2004, the most among MLB starting pitchers for that season.
In 2006, concerns about Pérez's work ethic and attitude arose, and the front office soon was looking to deal the left hander, as then-GM Ned Colletti details in his memoir, The Big Chair. Shortly after a disappointing outing in a 10-8 loss in Arizona on May 2nd, owner Frank McCourt approached Colletti, telling him to trade Odalis. "I don't care if you've got to eat the entire contract. Get him out of here." On July 25, 2006, Perez and two minor league pitchers were traded to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Elmer Dessens. Cash considerations were also sent to the Royals in the deal. On October 31, 2007, the Royals declined Perez's $9 million option and paid him a $1.5 million buyout.
Washington Nationals
On February 19, 2008, Pérez signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals and was invited to spring training. Pérez had his contract purchased by the Nationals on March 20, 2008. Perez got the Opening Day start for Washington on March 30, 2008. He gave up the first home run in the history of Nationals Park, to Chipper Jones in the top of the 4th. He gave up one run and surrendered 4 hits over 5 innings and ended up with a no-decision. Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk-off home run later that game to win the first game in the history of Nationals Park, 3-2. He also struck out the first batter and delivered the first pitch in the history of Nationals Park. Pérez agreed to a minor league contract with the Nationals prior to the season. However, he had second thoughts and did not report to spring training, instead wanting a major league deal. He was subsequently released.
