Veteran catcher Salvador Perez will be back with the Kansas City Royals for at least two more years.
The Royals announced Tuesday that they had agreed to a two-year contract with Perez. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Kansas City had the option this offseason to either exercise the $13.5 million option on Perez’s contract for the 2026 season or buy him out for $2 million. Instead, they agreed to a new deal.
Perez is coming off another strong season that became even more special after he became just the eighth primary catcher in MLB history to reach 300 home runs and the third Royals player to record 1,000 RBI. He finished the year with 30 homers and 100 RBI while hitting .236.
Despite Perez’s impressive season, the Royals finished with an 82-80 record and fell short of the playoffs just a year after they made their first postseason appearance since winning the World Series in 2015.
While Kansas City ended the year in disappointing fashion, the team has some promising pieces like star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and rookie slugger Jac Caglianone.
By retaining Perez, the Royals are keeping their team leader around for another season and beyond as they try to return to the playoffs in 2026.
