Picollo: Royals have no intention of trading Perez

KANSAS CITY -- At 18-48 this season, the Royals will most certainly be sellers at the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline 49 days away.

Who will they use as trade chips? While they are likely to shy away from trading the young core they’re playing every night, they have several relievers who could be useful for other teams, most notably lefty Aroldis Chapman, who signed a one-year, $3.75 million deal this offseason with the understanding he would be traded to a contending team if he got back on track.

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Here’s who the Royals likely won't be trading: Veteran catcher and captain Salvador Perez.

A report in The Athletic on Wednesday (subscription required) laid out two trade scenarios for Chapman, including dealing the high-leverage reliever soon rather than close to the Deadline to get a better prospect package -- a scenario the Royals are interested in, a source confirmed to MLB.com.

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The other scenario mentioned was trading Chapman as part of a package with another Royals player, which would help shed payroll. The Athletic reported that one club that spoke with Kansas City interpreted this scenario as an indication it wanted to move Perez.

This is highly unlikely, according to general manager J.J. Picollo, who spoke with Perez about the trade rumor.

“We don’t have any intention of trading Salvy,” Picollo said Monday afternoon. “It’s not something we’re looking to do. But it doesn’t mean that teams won’t ask about him. I will confirm the report was accurate, that the team called and asked about him. But unfortunately, it was leaked. Those conversations should remain private. In this case, it didn’t. The unfortunate thing is, he’s a player on our team, he’s trying to lead our team.

“And to deal with a trade rumor that was more inquisitive than anything, it was made out more than it should have been.”

Perez, 33, is having an all-around consistent year, slashing .275/.310/.513 with 14 homers across 60 games. He’s likely headed to his eighth All-Star Game this summer as the stalwart veteran presence on a Royals team full of young players trying to find their way.

Perez would be valuable to any team that needs a catcher. But Picollo made it clear he is the Royals’ starting catcher and is just as valuable in Kansas City. Perez is making $20 million this season and is slated to earn $42 million guaranteed in 2024-25, with a $2 million buyout if the $13.5 million club option isn’t picked up in ‘26. If the Royals trade Perez this year, it wouldn’t be a pure salary dump.

It would also have to be approved by Perez himself: He has full no-trade protection as a player with 10 years of service time and five consecutive years with the same team.

“He’s not surprised,” Picollo said of Perez’s reaction to the trade rumors. “He’s a good player. He knows teams are going to ask about him. I think we all have to keep in mind that he’s got full no-trade rights. He completely controls the destiny. He has told us over and over again he wants to be a Royal his whole career.”

Perez reiterated that on Monday night after the Royals’ 5-4 loss to the Reds in 10 innings -- a game which dropped Kansas City to 30 games below .500. The Royals’ last remaining member of the 2015 World Series team, Perez is likely in the middle of the ninth losing season in his 12-year Major League career.

“You know how much I love Kansas City,” Perez said postgame. “And we talked, J.J. came to me in Miami. Everybody knows that I love Kansas City -- that I want to stay here for the rest of my career. But it’s a business, too. I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I know tomorrow I’m going to be here. I’m going to play hard again.

“When [former president of baseball operations] Dayton [Moore] was here, he taught me how to play hard every day so I don’t have to worry about things out of my control. The only thing I can worry about is coming tomorrow, try to do my best and try to win tomorrow’s game.”

There’s a lot that can change between now and the Deadline, and the Royals will certainly listen to anything. But for now, it’s clear they have priority trade chips: Chapman and righty Scott Barlow might be two of the best relievers on the market this season. Taylor Clarke could be discussed, too.

The Royals could also be open to trading hitters like Edward Olivares, who would be a good right-handed bench bat for a contending team, or Nicky Lopez, whose defensive versatility makes him an asset.

In return, they’re looking to add to their farm system.

“Every team’s system is different,” Picollo said. “Some teams have a lot of talent at the top of their system which are close to Major League ready. Some teams have talent at the lower levels. When we look at this long term, we need to build a farm system, and we need to build a Major League team. So we just want quality return, whether it’s Major League or near-Major League or something that’s a little further away.”