The Royals have had a tough season. They’re 46-50, buried in their division by 13 games, and currently sit 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with a negative run differential and ace Cole Ragans on the injured list. They don’t exactly look like the likeliest buyers with the trade deadline less than three weeks away, but The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes that the front office is getting “consistent interest” from rival executives regarding top catching prospects Blake Mitchell, Carter Jensen, and Ramon Ramirez.
Mitchell, 21 next month, was the eighth-overall pick in the 2023 draft. He’s a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport who’s even more well-regarded by some outlets, though he’s gotten into just 14 games this year due to hand and wrist injuries. Jensen, 22, was a third-rounder back in 2021 and has split the 2025 season between Double- and Triple-A with a .286/.356/.462 slash line overall. In his first 13 games since being promoted to Omaha, Jensen has already crushed six homers and four doubles. As for Ramirez, the 20-year-old is currently on the injured list but signed with the club out of Venezuela and made his pro debut back in 2023. This year, he’s slashed .252/.366/.472 in 44 games at the Single-A level.
It’s an impressive crop of catching talent, and it’s not hard to see why some clubs would be intrigued by adding any of these youngsters to their farm system. Teams like the Nationals, Padres, Rays, Rangers, Twins, Phillies, Reds, and Guardians all have catching tandems with room for improvement in the near future, whether that’s due to an existing pair of catchers that could use an upgrade or an established option that figures to hit free agency within the next year or two. With so many teams that could stand to upgrade at catcher, either now or in the next few years, it’s not hard to imagine the Royals being able to bring back a controllable piece like the Phillies did when they traded Logan O’Hoppe to land Brandon Marsh at the 2022 trade deadline.
Of course, it can’t be ignored that the Royals could use some more certainty behind the plate themselves. Salvador Perez is a World Series champion and franchise legend, but he’s also been a replacement level piece in his age-35 season and it could be hard to justify picking up the $13.5MM club option on his services for 2026 rather than paying him a $2MM buyout. Freddy Fermin has been a solid partner to Perez behind the plate in recent years but has never had more than 368 plate appearances in a season and could be miscast as a regular.
There’s clearly some uncertainty behind the plate in Kansas City for the first time in a long time, and it would be understandable if that made the Royals hesitant to trade from their crop of catching talent. While that group could quickly turn into a surplus of catching talent in the coming years, one need look no further than MJ Melendez to see how quickly even a well-regarded catching prospect can flame out in the majors. There’s little reason for the Royals to rush into trading any of their catching prospects now unless they get a deal they’re pleased with; after all, it wasn’t long ago that the Blue Jays were viewed as overflowing with legitimate catching options but they waited until all four of Alejandro Kirk, Danny Jansen, Reese McGuire, and Gabriel Moreno were either in the majors or at Triple-A to start parting with that talent behind the plate.
Still, the idea of trading one of their catching prospects for a more immediate impact talent at another position of need on the roster has merit. Kansas City has received below-average offensive production from second base, DH, and all three outfield spots this year. A controllable bat that fills one of those holes could help the Royals not only try to get back into the playoff race this year, but help fortify the team and maximize the club’s current window while players like Ragans and Bobby Witt Jr. remain under team control. If another team was willing to dangle such a player for one of the club’s prospects, especially one further from the majors like Mitchell or Ramirez, that could be difficult to turn down.
Perez has actually produced fairly well as a DH this season and if he’s willing to do it full time next season could be well worth the price of his option
Agreed. Also an emergency back up catcher. I don’t see the Royals moving their top prospect at the position. They need the young, cheap contract to match the direction with the others.
They could trade one of them and that might be enough for Luis Robert but inter division trades don’t happen often
He wouldn’t be much of an upgrade for them, if any, this season
Why would they trade valuable assets for Luis Robert Jr?
And why would the White Sox trade Luis Robert Jr. for a catcher?
That was my thought. The Sox have their own top prospect at the position.
Why would the White Sox want another Catcher? That’s the only spot they are well stocked at.
Well, as an O’s fan, my advice is to hang onto the lot of them because you never know what could happen lmfao
Shouldn’t break the bank to get Salvy in SD…
Rather go after Harry Ford who’s blocked in Seattle by Cal Raleigh
That or call up the Marlins about
Liam Hicks
Augustin Ramirez
Nick Fortes
Joe Mack
Padres need a cheap controllable catcher. I’d ask for Nick Fortes as a lefty swinging compliment and comes with 3 more arb years
I’d offer them
1 of RHSP Brandon Nett or Henry Baez
1 of RHRP Bradgley Rodriguez or Francis Pena
C Lamar King Jr
Baez is looking like a prospect SD needs to hold onto for possible 2026 ST challenge.
Rodriguez might even have a role next year with Suarez opt out. Hoping Brito rebounds and claims a BP spot.
If the other guys in the lineup perform SD can live with current C’s. It isn’t like they aren’t doing well with the staff. They seem to provide a little help at just the right time every few games even though they are what they are overall.
Also, not seeing a great upside C that can be obtained for immediate offense boost that won’t cost more than I’d rather give up.
Merrill, Tatis, Cro, Bog getting back to normal will give more boost than 1 C upgrade.
1. No padres can’t go into the playoffs with a 43 OPS+ and 59 OPS+ from their catchers.
2. Padres need an answer for 2025 2026 2027 2028 until Salas is ready. Yes. Getting a quality cost controlled catcher will cost more than a bunch of throw in prospects. Padres don’t really have much in way of upper prospects. you have two elite ones and a bunch of B, B-, C+ middle prospects.
Fortes OPS+ 81. 4.8 def
Hicks OPS+ 112. -1.5 def
Ramirez OPS+ 104 -7 def
Fortes offers more offense and defense than -3.4 def Maldanado and 2.4 def Diaz
You think Salas isn’t ready until 2029?
On IL for back but in AA – so is Valenzuela who might actually have a shot in 26.
I don’t think Salas is ready till 2028
“2025 2026 2027 2028” whenever he’s ready
He’s overmatched in A+ batting .208/.288/.311 so course padres push him to AA where he’s looked more over matched.
Padres need a cost controller GOOD option at C rest of this year next year and possibly 2027. Salas isn’t it in 2025 2026 possibly not even 2027 if he doesn’t find offense. Austin Hedges 2.0 would be a let down.
MLB has him listed as ready by 2027 so 2028 isn’t too far off.
Yeah padres played the “we can replace Profar in house and with cheap options” game with Hayward Joe Ornelas and did the same with Higgy.
Rather not waste more playoff opportunities cause fans are hold up on some mid prospects.
Yet all such replacements got more production that JP for 80 games!
You can’t think that 3/45 was a smart move.
Never said bring back Profar. But Hayward and Joe and Ornelas weren’t it. That was obvious from the get go.
Hays
Bader
Pham
There were cheap options that offered quality defense and some offense.
Bader at 10 mil wasn’t a “cheap option”. Especially after his poor 24 and 23 seasons.
Pham – his last 3-5 years – no.
It’s a post like yours that makes you seem like a fantasy league manager. In the real world, you have player personalities to balance a dugout as well as the possibility that a player just doesn’t want to go to a certain team or wants to go play for a certain team / coach, etc.
Also, with Bader using that hindsight makes you look like a genius.
J Hey was recently off a good year for 1 mil – very much worth a shot hoping for a little bit of profit hat they got from Peralta last year.
Tirso – it was time to give him the shot after his 2024 AAA results.
So easy for a fantasy league manager in mid-July sayjng what a team spending real money with real people should have done 7 months ago.
Easy Fortes is a righty. Liam Hicks and Joe Mack are the left handed bats.
Hicks has done wonderfully well as a Rule 5 pick who hadn’t played above AA before this season. He has a lot to learn, but looks like he will
Joe Mack is a minor league gold glove winner who is developing very well and about ready for his major league debut.
Well that explains why my parlays never hit been confusing which sides fotres and hicks come from
I don’t think Ford is blocked by Cal Raleigh. He is going to be the backup in 2026 and will benefit from learning from the master. It is Garver and his $12M salary that is keeping Ford in the minor leagues.
@gwynning. That makes more sense. Teams like the royals wont be giving up prospects especially catchers. You can always slide someone to 1st and dh. Salvador would be the one you move even though he’s a fan favorite. Its like that article last year saying the cubs were interested in o’hoppe. Sure but the package would be absurd.
Gwynning, it’s hard to see the royals moving him given his tenure there.
Trading for a prospect has real risks when contending. Catcher is the hardest to adjust to a staff and they may not hit for anything in the bigs.
For me I’d go after Sean Murphy. Along with adding another bat. Doesn’t have to be in left but the best bat they can get without trading DeVries.
Murphy’s 15m salary over the next three years seems like a major obstacle.
Then you have the oddity that during Prellers’ 11 years with the team he has never spent even 4m on a catcher which is odd as can be considering how much he has spent everywhere else.
Are the Royals actually in a position to be buyers at the deadline? I hope I’m wrong, but seems a tough hill to climb without Ragans, an outfield, or the kind of money that could accelerate their improvement.
If it’s for a player under contract for multiple years. Doubt they would add a rental
The Royals could be buyers in the effect they dont want to sell off…but reload to stay in a decent position for 2026. Prospect for controllable talent on the OF seems very possible. But that also seems like an off-season type of goal too.
The Reds best catching prospect is in A ball, and Tyler Stevenson may get the India treatment in the offseason, so this analysis in their case is spot on.
1- They have prospects at an important position where they lack any long term clarity. They would be stupid to start trading them before they have a clearer picture on who among those 3 has the best chance to be the long term answer. Because of the 3 it’s highly unlikely more than one will turn into a decent regular and toy don’t want that one to be the one you traded.
2- They use the Phillies and Jays as examples. And they are….they’re examples of how they messed up. O’Hoppe is a guy the Phillies wish they had of hung onto. 17 homers in basically half a season is the kind of production you’d kill to get out of a catcher. The Jays dealt Moreno and he’s the guy they could have slotted in as their starting catcher for the next 19 years.
3- Suggesting you don’t pick up Perez’ option is absurd. He’s still the team leader, in my mind he’s a Hall of Famer, he’s still got some pop in his swing and $13 mil isn’t that much money compared to alienating a fan base that loves the guy. Terrible article and horrible takes all around by the writer.
He’s not worth the option. Buy him out and then offer him two years for a similar amount to stay around as a part time catcher and DH if he’s willing.
Still a small sample size, but James McCann has had a nice season at AAA Gwinett and now the Dbacks. I’m guessing he will be available when Moreno returns. That said, if Herrera has options, the Dbacks could send him down and keep McCann.
Royals acquire:
Rafael Marchan C
Mick Abel RHP (#5)
Gabriel Rincones Jr. (#10)
Phillies acquire:
Lucas Ercig RHP
Nick Loftin OF
Blake Mitchell C (#2)
Who says no?
The Royals……immediately. They need offensive help especially in the outfield. Rincones and his .200 average in AAA isn’t it. Him for Loftin straight up wouldn’t even cut it.
How about Andrew Painter & Justin Crawford for Jac Cagalione & Mitchell? I’m think i’m in the minority, but i’d trade Painter right now for a young OF star or a RP plus a Catcher of the future. Like Painter & Crawford for Andres Munoz & Harry Ford or JC & BM. King’s ransom for a top 10 prospect that can’t even crack our rotation.
Gms don’t make risky prospect trades like this. There’s no reason to. You hold onto your job longer if you don’t make these kind of trades
It would not surprise me at all if Perez and Kansas City announced a retirement year next year. He’s only 14 hr from 300 and could end up with 1800 hits. Oddly I seen somewhere that his bat speed ect was the same or slightly increased this season over last he just hasn’t found the holes so that’s a none factor. This said he could easily play two more if desired.