The Kansas City Royals and catcher Salvador Perez have agreed to a four-year extension, the team announced on Sunday.
The contract is worth $ 82 million, a source told ESPN, confirming several reports, making it the richest business in the history of Royals. The Kansas City Star first reported on the financial aspect of the Perez extension.
Perez’s extension, which begins with the 2022 season, comes after a 2020 season in which he was named AL Comeback Player of the Year.
He missed the 2019 season after Tommy John’s surgery, but came back hard in the shortened ’20 campaign. The 2015 World Series MVP reached the best of his career, 0.333, with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 37 games.
His high percentage of 0.633 strokes in his career was the second highest in the history of the Royals, behind only George Brett (0.664 in 1980). And he became only the third catcher since 1900 to register multihit games, including extra-base hits, in six consecutive competitions (September 11-18).
Perez has won the Gold Glove five times, and the Royals are counting on their ability to bring out the best in their pitchers to help a promising young spin who they hope will take them back to the playoffs.
It also proved to be durable behind the board. Perez played at least 129 games in six consecutive seasons, until he missed the 2019 season.
Perez, 30, is entering his 10th season in the majors, all with Kansas City. For his career, he cut .269 / .300 / .449.
Jeff Passan of ESPN and The Associated Press contributed to this report.