Salvador Perez signed a five-year, $7 million contract after playing just 39 MLB games in the 2011 season. The World Series MVP has vastly outplayed that deal over the past four seasons and the Kansas City Royals felt it was necessary to reward him after all the good he's done.
The two sides have agreed upon a new five-year, $52.5 million contract that will keep Perez in Kansas City through the 2021 season. He'll have the opportunity to hit free agency at the age of 31.
The Royals announced the five-year extension earlier today on Twitter and via a press release. The breakdown of the deal is as follows: $6 million signing bonus; $2 million in 2016 (remains the same); $3 million in 2017; $7.5 million in 2018; $10 million in 2019; $13 million in 2020; and $13 million in 2021. The extension officially begins in 2017. Perez was entering the final year of his current deal this year.
Perez was previously slated to make $3.75 million in 2017, $5 million in 2019 and $6 million in 2019 - all of which were team options. There was talk earlier this offseason that the two sides were working to restructure the 25-year-old's current deal since it did not pay him fairly for being one of the best catchers in MLB.
This is an excellent deal for baseball, as it portrays reason and fairness among the teams and players. Perez was severely underpaid in his previous deal, especially after winning three straight Gold Gloves, being voted to the All-Star Game for the past three seasons and then capturing the World Series MVP in the team's victory over the New York Mets.
Yes, while the Royals took a gamble on Perez after signing him for $7 million with just 39 MLB games under his belt, Perez returned the favor and produced well for the team. In 545 career games, the slugger owns a .279/.306/.431 stat line with 215 runs scored, 65 home runs and 279 RBI while accumulating a 14.1 WAR over that span.
The Royals could have easily kept Perez under contract and paid him just $16.75 million over the next four seasons, and Perez could have just as easily caused a stir by making outlandish contractual demands, as we've seen many players do in the past when they are unhappy with their current situation. Instead, the two sides sat down and spent the offseason hammering out this new contract that pays Perez fairly and also gives the Royals financial wiggle room in subsequent seasons, which is important for a club that doesn't have such unlimited resources.
Hopefully other teams and players can make note of this agreement and realize that common ground and reasonable deliberation aren't lost causes.
