Royals’ Salvador Perez had a special message for Freddy Fermin following trade
The Royals traded their backup catcher on Thursday and judging by the reaction, you’d have thought it was a longtime star who was departing.
Fans shared their bittersweet emotions about the deal that sent Freddy Fermin to the San Diego Padres for two pitchers. Royals broadcasters Joel Goldberg and Jake Eisenberg posted social-media messages about their admiration of Fermin, as did MLB.com writer Anne Rogers.
Fermin has modest statistics: a .255 average with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 67 games this season. But he’s been an excellent defensive player and an extremely popular teammate in the clubhouse.
Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said it was an “emotional thing” to part ways with Fermin, who has been with the franchise for a decade.
“Anybody that’s been around us and around Freddy know how infectious his personality is, and he is not only a fan favorite, but he’s a clubhouse favorite,” Picollo said. “And I will say that’s an emotional thing because you’ve had Freddy since he was 20 years old. You watched him grind his way through the minor leagues. Nobody can outwork that guy. He was a perfect partner for Salvador Perez. Salvy mentored him in a way that he’s ready to take over as a starting catcher somewhere, and he had a lot of value in the game. ...
“I will say, on a personal note, I really enjoyed Freddy. I think we all did, but I am very happy for him that he’s getting an opportunity to play and maybe play a larger role on a good team.”
Fermin was part of history in his final game with the Royals. He was the catcher in a 1-0 win in 10 innings over Atlanta on Wednesday. It was only the second time in MLB history that a team has used nine pitchers in a shutout.
After the Fermin trade was announced, the Royals shared a “Thank you Freddy” post on social media. As Picollo noted, Perez took Fermin under his wing and helped his teammate and fellow Venezuelan with his development. Perez shared a special message for Fermin in response to the Royals’ social media post.
Perez wrote a note in Spanish and it translates to this: “I love you manoooooo God’s plans are better than ours keep getting involved as you know how to do”
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Fermin and Perez are no longer teammates but their friendship undoubtedly will endure.
FanDuel Sports Kansas City’s Joel Goldberg said Perez has spoken with Fermin multiple times since the deal was finalized.
“(Perez) said, I talked to him yesterday and again today, I told him that, ‘Hey, you got this. You know how to do this.’ To know where he came from, to get signed, to make it to the big leagues and now to be a No. 1 in San Diego,” Goldberg said. “(Perez) said, ‘I am so proud of him.’”
This story was originally published August 1, 2025 at 9:25 AM.
