Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (35) goes one step further toward becoming a “one-club man.”
Local media such as “MLB.com ” reported on the 5th (Korea Standard Time) that Perez agreed to a two-year, $25 million contract with the Kansas City club.
Perez’s four-year $82 million contract expired at the end of the 2025 season and he had a team option ($13.5 million) left for the 2026 season.
사진 확대 Salvador Perez extends his contract with Kansas City. 사진=ⓒAFPBBNews = News1
The new contract replaces this option. MLB.com said a down payment of $7 million was included, with some of the payments being deferred.
In terms of average amount, Perez was consequently paid less than scheduled for the 2026 season, but instead was guaranteed another year of contract.
Perez spent all 14 seasons in the major leagues with the Royals. He is a nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, and contributed to his team’s World Series win in 2015.
Now I can’t even imagine him wearing a different team uniform. This contract makes it more likely that he will spend his career in a team.
“Salbi (Perez’s nickname) is a Royals legend and one of the most important players our club has ever recruited,” Royals general manager J.J. Piccolo said in a statement. “Although options remained for next season, it was a fact that we hoped his legacy would last longer than that contract. We appreciate Salvi’s commitment to the Royals, and we are delighted as the fans are,” he said.
Last season, Perez had a batting average of 0.236 on-base percentage of 0.284 slugging percentage of 0.446 with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in 155 games.
He has been listed on the club’s career list in major personal records such as career home runs (303, 2nd place), RBI (1,106 RBIs, 2nd place), slugging (634, 3rd place), most hits (1712), 6th place, and games (1707, 7th place). In particular, if only 14 homers are added, it will tie George Brett’s career-high number of homers.
[San Francisco (USA) = KIM JAE HO, MK Sports Correspondent]