MLB Rumors: Royals 7-Time All-Star Becoming Trade Candidate

The Kansas City Royals will be a busy team leading up to the trade deadline. They're already known to be shopping two key bullpen pieces, but now, according to MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal, it appears that longtime star catcher Salvador Perez may also be on his way out.

There's word that the Royals are looking to attach "a player" to one of their bullpen arms in a trade, in order to enable the rebuilding team to "shed payroll while ensuring a better return in a trade." And Rosenthal says that one team that spoke to KC got the clear impression that the 7-time All-Star backstop Perez is the player whose salary the Royals could be trying to unload.

The #Royals want a ‘high caliber prospect’ in return for Aroldis Chapman.

KC could also entertain the idea of packaging Salvador Perez in a deal with Chapman for a lesser return in exchange for a team taking on Salvy’s contract.

(Via: @Ken_Rosenthal) pic.twitter.com/QC5XYJ8UV2
— uSTADIUM MLB (@uSTADIUMMLB) June 7, 2023

Perez earns $20M this season, and for two more after this one. He is off to another great start this season, batting .278 with an .816 OPS along with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs. He is the last remaining connection to the 2015 World Series champs.

But this is 2023, and the Royals sport the second-worst record in the majors, at 18-43, and are in full-on rebuild mode for the next few seasons. Perez is 33 now, and will be well past his productive years by the time KC is ready to contend.

Photo: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports