All-Star catcher Salvador Perez is signed through the 2019 season, but the Kansas City Royals may be looking to hammer out the details on a new contract this offseason. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported Monday the Royals are in discussions with Perez on a long-term extension.
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Perez May No Longer Be 1 of MLB’s Biggest Bargains
Monday, Jan. 25
In 2012, the Royals signed Perez to what became one of the most team-friendly contracts in baseball. He’ll earn $7 million through the first five years, and after that, he has three club-option years worth a combined $14.75 million, per Baseball-Reference.com.
According to Spotrac, Buster Posey earns the highest annual base salary for a catcher at $20 million, just to put into perspective how great a deal the Royals are getting for a three-time All-Star and World Series MVP.
The Royals were still basking in their World Series glory when general manager Dayton Moore was asked about Perez’s future with the team and whether the team would reward him for his work on the field.
“That’s a decision we’d have to discuss as an organization,” said Moore last November, per MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. “I don’t know when the right time is to do that. I don’t know if there have been examples of [restructuring long-term deals]. But if a player doesn’t perform, the club is usually often wishing it didn’t [do a long-term deal]. But you know, we love Salvy. He’s family. We’ll see.”
Few players have been more integral to Kansas City’s success than Perez. Over the last three years, he batted .270 with 51 home runs and 219 runs batted in. According to FanGraphs, he was also the second-best defensive catcher in the league during that stretch.
Since he’s still under contract for the next few years, the Royals don’t necessarily need to give Perez a new deal, but doing so would be a gesture of good faith, and nobody will argue he hasn’t done enough to warrant a pay raise.
Kansas City was regarded as one of the more frugal franchises in baseball for years, but as the team has become more successful, ownership has shown a strong commitment to providing the necessary finances to keep the team competitive.
The Royals just handed outfielder Alex Gordon $68 million over four years earlier this offseason, and a new deal for Perez may happen sooner rather than later.
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