Royals' Perez to catch less in 2015
The Kansas City Royals are hoping to lighten the load on catcher Salvador Perez next season.
After catching in 146 of 150 games in 2014, general manager Dayton Moore said the team will deploy Perez as the designated hitter more frequently next year.
“Salvy wants to play every day,” Moore told Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star. “Having him behind the plate put our best team on the field. That’s what we were trying to do. But I think going forward we’ve got to look for some opportunities to get him a little more in balance.”
Perez posted an impressive first half of the season - earning the first All-Star appearance of his career - but struggled mightily following the midsummer classic.
| Split | G | HR | BA/OBP/SLG | SO/BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Half | 85 | 11 | .283/.329/.437 | 39/19 |
| 2nd Half | 65 | 6 | .229/.236/.360 | 46/3 |
Moore hopes that putting less demand on his body by giving him some days off behind the plate will improve his offensive production.
“We know that Sal is capable of having a lot more offensive output,” Moore said. “Catching is, in my opinion, maybe the most demanding position in all of athletics. So there’s no doubt it can take a toll on you offensively, catching every day.”