Kansas City Royals: Two potential trades involving Salvador Perez
By Cody Rickman
Part 2: Salvador Perez, Catcher
Salvador Perez is arguably coming off his best season offensively and the Royals front office will need to decide on what to do with him this offseason. The option to re-sign Perez to a long-term contract would sedate the fanbase who recognize Perez as a face of the franchise, team leader, and fan favorite.
Re-signing Perez could be a bad decision for the Royals who could fall into a position of over-paying a franchise player who will be in the decline for the duration of his new contract. Letting Perez play the 2021 season and enter free agency could risk the Royals draft pick compensation. A trade of Perez will extremely unpopular (just like another famous trade the Royals made in recent memory), but it is the best thing to do for the Royals long-term.
Perez is an elite defender, team leader, provides outstanding offensive output when his batting average is around .290. The trade return for Perez could be very favorable for the Royals who are looking to be competitive quickly.
- Cristian Javier, RHP – 24 years old during 2021 season
- Abraham Toro, 3B/2B/1B – 24 years old during 2021 season
Cristian Javier is a 6’1” right-handed starting pitcher who features an above-average mix of a riding fastball (88-93 mph, tops out at 96 mph), above-average fall off the table curveball, above average sweeping slider, and a developing change-up. Javier had a 2.22 ERA, 1.029 WHIP, 12.2 K/9, 3.9 BB/9, and 0.5 HR/9 in 377.0 innings across five seasons of minor league ball.
His 2020 MLB debut saw him provide a 3.48 ERA, 0.994 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, and 1.8 HR/9 in 54.1 innings. The advanced analytics as well as the standard statistics reveal Javier has the stuff to excel at the MLB level. Javier is a number three type starter (FIP – 3.30) and would be a welcomed addition to the Royals starting rotation for the next several years.
Abraham Toro is a switch-hitting utility player who has an above-average hit and a slightly above-average power tool. He has an advanced plate approach to generate solid OBP numbers in addition to be a tough at-bat. He has the arm and glove to handle third base full-time.
He is a plus runner but do not expect a ton of stolen bases from him, his speed comes in the form of “long-speed”. Toro has broken through with his versatility on a roster soaked with talent. Toro projects to be an average everyday regular if he were given the chance with the ability to hit .270 with an OBP .360 with 15-18 HRs and 30 or more doubles.