The Kansas City Royals have signed 2015 World Series Most Valuable Player Salvador Perez to a four-year extension with a team option in 2026.
The team announced the signing Sunday afternoon. Terms of the deal were not announced, but MLB.com reports that $82 million is guaranteed, which would be the biggest deal in team history. The 2026 team option is worth $13.5 million with a $2 million buyout, per MLB.com
The 30-year-old catcher has spent the entirety of his MLB career with Kansas City, signing with the organization at the age of 16 and making his major league debut in 2011.
Perez is coming off one of his most productive years after missing the 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 2020, he played 37 games and had career-highs with a .333 BA, .633 slugging percentage and .986 OPS on his way to being named the AL Comeback Player of the Year, a Silver Slugger award winner and first-team all-MLB selection. He also led the team with 11 home runs and was second in RBI (32).
The six-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner was named World Series MVP after the Royals defeated the New York Mets in 2015. He hit 8-for-22 (.364) with two doubles and two RBI in the five-game series.
Perez had caught 189 runners stealing in his career — sixth best among active catchers — and his .995 fielding percentage as a catcher is 12th best in MLB history.
Contact Jordan Mendoza at jamendoza@usatoday.com or on Twitter @jord_mendoza
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Salvador Perez: Kansas City Royals sign catcher to 4-year extension