2 reasons Royals should be optimistic about Salvador Perez, 1 reason to worry

The ominous ticking of Salvador Perez's baseball clock is getting louder. He'll soon head to spring training, where he'll prepare himself for his 15th major league season and the first campaign of the contract extension the Kansas City Royals rewarded him with in November.

Getting long in the tooth for a catcher, he'll turn 36 well before the All-Star Break — simply put, the end of his career, a tenure so stellar that it may well prove worthy of a plaque in Cooperstown, is near.

But there are reasons the Royals decided, without much apparent apprehension or serious concern, to tack at least two more years (they hold a club option on a third) on Perez's storied stay in Kansas City.

They could've taken the easy way out by picking up their one-season option on the then-franchise-record deal he signed before the 2021 campaign, but the Royals recognized the wisdom of bringing him back for more than just a season.

His new deal won't stop the ticking of that proverbial clock, though, and 14 years spent primarily in the most physically taxing position in the majors (not to mention the four-plus seasons he caught in the minors before breaking in with the Royals in 2011) may take its career-terminating toll on Perez before the deal reaches the end of its term.

There are, however, reasons to be optimistic about Perez's chances to complete his new contract, including the option year ... and maybe more. At the same time, there is room for some pessimism.

Salvador Perez's power, production remain at good levels for the Royals

Make no mistake about it, Perez is still dangerous at the plate. Big league pitchers have little, if any, reason not to fear him.

Although the .236 he hit in 2025 was the second-lowest average of his career, he hammered the second-highest number of homers (30) of his career, and only twice previously had he driven in more than the 100 runs he knocked across the plate. And over the last 10 major league campaigns, he's missed the 20-homer mark just twice — first in 2019 when he spent the season recovering from a UCL tear, and then in the short 2020 season.

And since turning 30 during the pandemic-truncated campaign (but excluding for obvious reasons his stats from that year), Perez has averaged 30.2 home runs and 96.2 RBI. Including 2020, he's also won three Silver Sluggers (including the team record fourth he earned in 2021) and made the American League All-Star team three times.

Reasons for optimism? Undoubtedly.

Salvador Perez's versatility should excite the Royals

That may be counterintuitive when it comes to primary catchers, but it's true in Perez's case. He's no longer just a catcher — he's an accomplished designated hitter and more than holds his own when manager Matt Quatraro deploys him at first base.

Importantly, Perez can still catch. He still throws runners out at a well above league average rate — he gunned down 43.8% in 2025 — and manages games well. (More on other aspects of his defense, though, in a moment).

He's also no slouch when spelling starter Vinnie Pasquantino at first. In the 826 innings he's played there across the last three seasons, he's made only one error.

And the time he spends at DH keeps his bat in the lineup.

Taking his share of turns at DH and first base gives Perez valuable respite from the rigors of catching, and probably has much to do with the fact he's played all but 11 of his club's games over the past two seasons. That moving out from behind the plate stands to extend his career clearly provides reason for optimism.

Some of Salvador Perez's work behind the plate could worry the Royals

Not everything about their nine-time All-Star's game is rosy. While he can still catch well, his work at backstop leaves a thing or two to be desired.

His framing, for example, remains substandard: Baseball Savant ranks it in the 15th percentile. (Butas we've said before in this space, his value in so many other areas overshadows that below-average framing). He doesn't block pitches as well as he used to, and his -15 DRS behind the plate in 2025 was the worst mark of his career.

The realistic possibility that he'll catch less in 2026 may mitigate those shortcomings, but won't completely remove them from Quatraro's lineups.

So it is that the Royals have some reason to be pessimistic about Perez next season. All things considered, though, they should be excited about having him back.