The Royals have two critical decisions to make with All-Star pitcher Kris Bubic and a slumping veteran in Salvador Perez.
Should the Royals trade or extend Bubic
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. Bubic has emerged as one of the Royals' top starters, and because of that, they really only have two options with him. Each scenario completely depends on where the Royals are at the trade deadline.
Since Bubic's start on March 31 against the Brewers, he has been incredibly good. In 23 starts he has pitched 134.1 innings, with a 2.55 ERA, 139 strikeouts, a 1.13 WHIP, and a record of 10-8. Most recently, he had a career game against the White Sox, pitching seven innings while allowing just two hits, zero runs, one walk, and 11 strikeouts (a career high).
The scenario Kansas City must avoid is Bubic walking in free agency. If the Royals are without a playoff spot by Aug. 3 and don't appear on their way to getting one, they need to trade Bubic for a decent haul of prospects.
The other scenario is if Kansas City holds a playoff spot with a decent lead, it needs to extend Bubic to at least a three-year deal. The end goal is to avoid losing him in free agency, as the Royals can’t afford to let him walk without getting anything in return.
Kansas City Also Faces Decision on Salvador Perez
Salvador Perez has already had a significant decline in performance to start out the 2026 season. Perez is batting .158, with two home runs, two RBIs, a .524 OPS, .226 OBP, .298 SLG, with a 0.2 WAR.
Perez should be traded or DFAd, given his importance to the organization and clubhouse, but manager Matt Quatraro might need to start thinking about moving him down in the lineup, or maybe even start a true platoon. Despite struggling, Perez is still batting in the cleanup spot every game, while the Royals have a catcher of the future in Carter Jensen who would fit perfectly into that four-hole.
Of course, it is still early in the season to give up on a player, but moving Perez into the lower half of the order could help get him out of this funk. A recent example is when Quatraro moved Vinnie Pasquantino into the seven-hole last year after a very slow start, which resulted in Pasquantino moving back up to the three-hole and having a career season once he heated up.
These scenarios force Kansas City to make crucial decisions, balancing success this season while also building for the future of the organization.