Royals sign Perez to 4-year contract extension
The Kansas City Royals have signed catcher Salvador Perez to a four-year contract extension, the team announced Sunday.
We have agreed to a four-year contract extension with Salvador Perez!#TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/Qho3Wj7E2L
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) March 21, 2021
The deal guarantees Perez $82 million, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
Here's the breakdown of the contract, which includes a 2026 team option that can make the deal worth $93.5 million over five seasons:
| Year | Salary |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $18M |
| 2023 | $20M |
| 2024 | $20M |
| 2025 | $22M |
| 2026 | $13.5M* |
* - Team option with $2-million buyout.
The contract is the most expensive deal the Royals have ever given out, surpassing Alex Gordon's four-year, $72-million pact signed in 2016.
Perez, 30, was entering the final campaign of a five-year, $52.5-million deal.
Salvador Perez on the four-year extension. #Royals pic.twitter.com/Vcu1OaiJQT
— Josh Vernier (@JoshVernier610) March 21, 2021
The six-time All-Star is coming off a resurgent season, hitting .333/.353/.633 with 11 homers and one steal over 37 games during the pandemic-shortened campaign. The 2015 World Series MVP was still selected as the catcher for the All-MLB team after missing the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery.
Perez is a five-time Gold Glove winner and three-time Silver Slugger who broke into the majors in 2011 with the Royals. Since then, the backstop owns a .749 OPS (101 OPS+) while saving 17.3 runs defensively and accruing 11.9 WAR, according to FanGraphs.