Kansas City Royals: Two potential trades involving Salvador Perez

• Kyle Wright, RHP – 25 years old for 2021 season
• Braden Shewmake, SS – 23 years old for 2021 season

Kyle Wright was the No. 5 overall selection in the 2017 amateur draft and he made his MLB debut one year later in 2018. The Braves have trusted the development and talent of Wright to give him the pitching mound twice so far in the 2020 playoffs.

Wright has not seen the MLB success in his results that the quality of his stuff would portend. He features a plus fastball (sits 94-97 mph, tops out at 99 mph), a plus slider, above-average curveball, and an above-average changeup. He still has a high ceiling and if he can figure out the right pitch mix, he has the ability to be at least a number three type starter (3.30 FIP).

Braden Shewmake has above-average tools across the board. His excellent contact ability and advanced approach at the plate equates to low strike-out numbers, good walk rates, and some deceiving power. He is 6’4”, but has good instincts, solid range, and enough arm to be slightly above-average defensively at shortstop.

There is room for him to continue to add more muscle to his frame and he could develop into more power. As it stands, Shewmake projects to be a .270 hitter, with a .340 OBP, with about 15-18 home runs per year. He has an ETA of 2021 with the outlook of being a slightly above-average everyday shortstop.

Recent trade outcome to hope for:

February 2019

Miami Marlins traded J.T. Realmuto Catcher (28-years-old) to Philadelphia Phillies for Will Stewart (Pitcher), Sixto Sanchez (Pitcher), and Jorge Alfaro (Catcher)

• Realmuto was three years younger than Perez at the time with two years of salary arbitration remaining.

The Royals are the kind of organization more likely to reward a player like Perez with a contract extension than trade him before the final year of his contract. If we remove the emotion and clubhouse aspect to trading Perez away, the baseball sense is here for an offseason move of Perez.

Life is hard to catchers after the age of 30 who have caught the amount of innings Perez has. The statistical drop-offs for recent franchise catchers Buster Posey, Brian McCann, and Matt Wieters are norm.

Next up, we will explore trades for DH/OF Jorge Soler.