CLEVELAND (AP) - Catcher Roberto Perez and the Cleveland Indians have agreed to a $9 million, four-year contract that includes club options for 2021 and 2022.
After spending nearly three months on the disabled list following thumb surgery, Perez became a key contributor last season during the Indians’ postseason run. With Yan Gomes on the DL, the 28-year-old Perez started all 15 games in the postseason. He hit two home runs in Game 1 of the World Series.
The deal announced Sunday includes a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $550,000 this season, $1.5 million next year, $2.5 million in 2018 and $3.5 million in 2019 and a $450,000 option buyout. It replaces a one-year contract agreed to last month that called for a salary of $542,300 in the major leagues. Perez would have been eligible for salary arbitration after this season.
Perez batted only .183 in 61 games, but he threw out 46 percent of potential base stealers and the Indians went 33-20 when he started.
He broke his right thumb and sustained ligament damage on a tag play last April and came off the DL prematurely when Gomes injured his shoulder in July.
Perez was selected by the Indians in the 33rd round of the 2008 amateur draft. He played for Puerto Rico in this year’s World Baseball Classic.
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