KANSAS CITY – Midway through the season, Royals catcher Salvador Perez openly questioned whether he had already exceeded, in terms of value, the long-term contract he signed in 2012.
This issue came up again on Twitter and talk shows after Perez was unanimously voted the winner of the 2015 World Series Most Valuable Player award. It’s an important enough topic that Royals general manager Dayton Moore, addressed Thursday during his end-of-season press conference.
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In 2012, Perez signed a five-year, $7 million contract that then included three club options, potentially taking the deal through 2019 for a maximum value of $26.5 million.
Moore reminded reporters that Kansas City took a big risk in signing Perez to a long-term deal when Perez was so young (21 at the time).
Video: Moore and Yost discuss the great year 2015 and look ahead to 2016
“(Renegotiation of the Perez deal) is not something I would discuss here,” Moore said. “Salvy is under contract. We felt great when we made that deal. He was signed with 34 days of service. I believe he was the first receiver in history to sign a long-term deal with so little service time.
“It was controversial at the time. He had no success or experience as a hitter in the minor leagues. He certainly didn’t have major league experience. We felt he would catch and throw .We loved his leadership abilities.
“We paid him the same way as Yadier Molina. And that’s how we structured the deal. And Salvy has done a wonderful job, but he’s under contract.”
Video: Perez receives World Series MVP award during presentation
Would Moore be willing to restructure the deal?
“It’s a decision we’ll have to discuss as an organization,” Moore said. “I don’t know when is the right time to do it. I don’t know if there have been examples of (restructuring long-term deals). But if a player is not performing, the club often wants him to .I didn’t (make a long term deal).
“But you know, we love Salvy. He’s part of the family. We’ll see.”
Perez and his agency, the Beverly Hills Sports Council, were not available for comment.
