The Kansas City Royals and catcher Salvador Perez have agreed to a four-year extension, the team announced Sunday.
The contract is worth $ 82 million, a source told ESPN, confirming that it is the richest deal in Royals history. The Kansas City Star first reported the financial aspect of Perez’s extension.
Perez’s expansion, which begins with the 2022 season, follows a 2020 season in which he was named the AL Comeback Player of the Year.
He missed the 2019 season after having surgery in Tommy John, but returned with a bang in the shortened ’20 campaign. The 2015 World Series MVP scored a career-best .333 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 37 games.
His career percentage of .633 was the second highest in Royals history, surpassing only George Brett (.664 in 1980). And he has only become the third catcher since 1900 to record multi-hit games, including an extra base hit, in six consecutive games (September 11-18).
Perez is a five-time Gold Glove winner, and the Royals are counting on his ability to bring out the best in their pitchers to help a young and promising starting rotation they hope to lead them back to the playoffs.
He has also proven that he is durable behind the plate. Perez has appeared in at least 129 games for six consecutive seasons until he missed the 2019 season.
Perez, 30, is on his way to his 10th season in the majors, all with Kansas City. For his career, he hacked .269 / .300 / .449.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.