The Kansas City Royals have a bit of an awkward situation on their hands.
Catcher and captain Salvador Perez technically finished up his four-year extension this season, but the Royals have the right to tack on a $13.5 million club option for next season. And while they could do so and not think twice about it, Perez might not like the idea of playing on a one-year contract for the team he’s been with his entire career.
General manager J.J. Picollo has already come out and said Perez will be in a Royals uniform this season, but hinted that a contract extension or restructure of some kind could be coming. So today, our job is to design a perfect new deal that benefits both the captain and the franchise.
First, some factors to consider: Perez will be 36 in May, he’s already caught 1,383 games in his career, and the Royals’ top two prospects are catchers (including Carter Jensen, who impressed in his major league debut in September).
Moving forward, the Royals are probably looking at a timeshare of Perez behind the plate for somewhere between a third and half of their games, with that number only shrinking by the year.
Spotrac currently projects Perez’s market value at two years, $28 million. That’s not a bad starting point, but there’s probably a way to make sure he feels a little more highly valued, considering he just made over $20 million per year for the last four years.
So here’s our modest proposal: two years, $14 million per year, but with a $10 million mutual option for 2028 that vests into a $14 million player option if Perez hits a certain threshold (say, 125 games played in 2027, or 450 plate appearances).
Then, let’s tack on a $6 million buyout for that mutual option to bring the actual guaranteed value of the deal up to two years, $34 million. That saves the Royals a few million against the luxury tax for the next two years, but ensures Perez isn’t guaranteed a far lower average annual value.
Does that deal get things solved? You’d have to ask Perez and Picollo, but it feels fair from a birds-eye view.
More MLB: Royals Could Cut Ties With 28-Year-Old All-Star With High Trade Value: Insider
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