KC Royals: Salvador Perez Could Get Another Extension
By John Viril
CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported on Friday that the KC Royals are considering an extension for catcher Salvador Perez.
The Kansas City Royals already control Perez through the 2019 season if they exercise both option years on a contract extension signed February of 2012. Salvador Perez‘s deal is widely considered one of the best bargains in baseball.
The contract is so favorable for the KC Royals, that Heyman wrote:
"The Royals, nice people, seem to have sympathy for Perez, whose $7-million, five-year deal looks like the steal of the century now that he has become their key player."
Heyman also suggests Royals general manager Dayton Moore is open to a long-term deal that would effectively make Salvador Perez a career Kansas City Royal.
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No KC Royals fan could be at all unhappy with the prospect of getting a career deal similar in length to Giancarlo Stanton‘s 13-year contract. Perez is a two time all-star who doesn’t turn 25 until May 10 of this season.
I also happen to believe the best is yet to come for Salvador Perez. I think Perez is poised for a significant breakthrough at the plate when he finally learns to harness his power.
Perez has been trying to learn how to drive the ball. Last season, that attempt caused him to try to pull everything. The change in his hitting approach, combined with overuse, led to a second half collapse.
Even still, Salvador Perez put up 3.3 wins above replacement on baseball reference (bWAR) in 2014, after a 4.3 bWAR in 2013. Even at last winter’s open market rate of around $6 million per WAR, Perez is a screaming bargain for the KC Royals.
SALVADOR PEREZ CURRENT CONTRACT NUMBERS
| Year | Age | Age | Salary | age | bWAR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 22 | $750,000 | 2.9 | |||
| 2013 | 23 | $1,000,000 | 4.3 | |||
| 2014 | 24 | $1,500,000 | 3.3 | |||
| 2015 | 25 | $1,750,000 | ||||
| 2016 | 26 | $2,000,000 | ||||
| 2017 | 27 | *$3,750,000 | ||||
| 2018 | 28 | *$5,000,000 | ||||
| 2019 | 29 | *$6,000,000 |
[Note: Data Source for table Baseball-Reference.com]
[* Team option]
Consider what Salvador Perez could do with reasonable rest. Perez caught more games than any player in baseball last season. Including the playoffs, he caught 158 games in 2014.
The abuse appeared to affect Salvador Perez’s performance at the plate. In the first half, Perez slashed a solid .283/.329/.437 for an OPS of .765 with 11 home runs. He crashed to .229/.236/.360 with 6 home runs in the second half.
Perez might have been close to a 5 WAR player in 2014 with more time off.
Given Perez’s terrific natural power to all fields, and he could average 25 or more home runs per year during the upcoming four seasons (which should be his peak years). Combined with Perez’s outstanding defense (he has already won two consecutive gold gloves), he could become an MVP candidate.
If Perez’s agent wants an extension, Dayton Moore would be a fool not to strike some kind of deal (presuming, of course, Perez’s demands are reasonable).
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