Salvador Pérez still remembers growing up in the coastal Venezuelan city of Valencia, where as a youngster he would take batting practice against his mother with a broomstick and later play organized ball with the likes of José Altuve.
He never thought a day like Sunday could be possible. That's when the Royals gave the six-time All-Star catcher a four-year, $82 million deal — the richest in club history — that will begin after his current contract in 2022.
The deal ties Pérez to the only organization for which he's played until at least 2025, though a club option worth $13.5 million could keep him around for that season, too. “It's hard to believe where I'm coming from, where I grew up, to see the situation I have right now, it makes me