Salvador Perez will play winter ball in his native Venezuela this coming season, El ExtraBase reported on Saturday.
On a video posted to Instagram by El ExtraBase, Perez said in Spanish, “The expectation, 100%, is that I’m going to play this year in Venezuela with the Leones del Caracas. I want to fulfill that dream, it’s one of my dreams.”
Perez is in the final year of a four-year, $82 million contract with the Kansas City Royals, though the club holds an option for 2026 worth $13.5 million. The native of Valencia, Venezuela has played 14 Major League seasons, all with Kansas City, where he’s been a nine-time All-Star, won five Gold Gloves, five Silver Sluggers, and the 2015 World Series. He’s compile 34.9 bWAR in 1,645 career games, batting .266/.303/.457 with a .759 OPS and 268 career homers.
Caracas is hosting the 2026 Caribbean Series, and the Leones del Caracas have won 21 championships in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional. They last won the league title in 2022-23, the same year Venezuela’s capital opened Estadio Monumental Simon Bolivar and last hosted the Caribbean Series.
Perez has played three winter seasons in the LVBP, playing for the Tiburones de La Guaira in 2012-13 and 2013-14. He last played in the league in 2022-23 with the Aguilas del Zulia. He’s appeared in 70 LVBP games, batting .329/.373/.516 with a .889 OPS, 11 homers, and 63 RBIs.
The LVBP season will start on October 15, with teams playing a 56-game regular season schedule before a five-team round robin playoff. The top two teams in the round robin meet in a best-of-seven championship series, with the winner going on to represent Venezuela at the Caribbean Series.
Photo: Salvador Perez celebrates on second after hitting a, RBI double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
