A Kansas City Royals trade-deadline primer: Who could be dealt before 5 p.m. Tuesday?

The Kansas City Royals are open for business ahead of next Tuesday’s trade deadline across Major League Baseball. At 29-75, they must decide how much — or who — they are willing to sell.

Several teams have expressed interest in multiple players on the Kansas City roster. The Royals have already traded reliever Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers. The return netted starting pitcher Cole Ragans and minor-league prospect Roni Cabrera.

Ragans, 25, made his Royals debut July 15. He allowed one run against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals would aim to secure similar return value in any additional deals they might make. General manager J.J. Picollo recently outlined his thought process regarding potential future trades.

“The objective is to make our organization better,” Picollo said, “whether it is guys that can help us in the major leagues sooner or guys that can give us depth in the minor leagues. We are open to any discussions a team may want to have.”

So what will the Royals do at the MLB trade deadline? Here is everything you need to know ahead of Aug. 1.

Trades, trades and more trades

The MLB trade deadline arrives Tuesday at 5 p.m. Central.

Years ago, July 31 was the traditional deadline. Now, the commissioner’s office can set the date anytime between July 28 and Aug. 3 to avoid scheduling conflicts.

The trade deadline represents the final day each team can swap players on 40-man rosters. It’s a singular deadline now, as MLB eliminated the August waiver deadline in 2019.

Players can still change teams after the trade deadline, but to do so they must be released and claimed elsewhere on outright waivers.

The Royals have been active around the deadline in recent years. Last season they made six deals before the deadline, acquiring Drew Waters from the Atlanta Braves and trading Andrew Benintendi to the New York Yankees.

Deal or No Deal...

Royals closer Scott Barlow is the biggest KC name in the MLB rumor mill. He is linked to multiple teams in need of reliever help.

Barlow has a 5.15 ERA and 12 saves this season. He is making $5.3 million this season and has another year of club control before free agency, per Spotrac.

Teams are interested in Barlow’s numbers against right-handed hitters. He is limiting righties to a collective .177 batting average.

“I don’t look anything into it just because it’s so out of my control,” Barlow told The Star about recent trade rumors. “There is no use to look into any articles or things like that.”

The Royals have also received calls about reliever Carlos Hernandez, but it would take a lot to acquire him at the deadline. The Royals value his strikeout ability and have recently utilized him in high-leverage situations.

Hernandez can touch 100 mph with his fastball. Opposing hitters are hitting just .143 against his slider this season. And Hernandez has multiple years of team control remaining.

Other Royals who have drawn interest include infielder Nicky Lopez and pitchers Jose Cuas and Taylor Clarke.

Salvy or Zack Greinke available?

Royals catcher Salvador Perez has also been the subject of recent trade rumors.

The Royals don’t intend to trade him, but that hasn’t stopped teams from calling.

Perez is a complicated case. The Royals’ captain can veto any trade thanks to his status as a 10-and-5 player. Certain players (such as Perez) have no-trade protections after playing 10 or more seasons in the majors and spending five consecutive years with one team.

The Royals value their beloved star catcher. They’re the only organization he has known. He is still productive and remains a clubhouse leader to multiple young players. Over the years, Perez has helped develop pitchers Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch IV and Kris Bubic, to name a few.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro hopes Perez will stay around. He told Sirius XM’s MLB Network Radio that he assumes Perez will remain in a Royals jersey.

“I would assume that Salvy would be here for sure,” Quatraro said. “But you know, I don’t know that. I don’t know that definitely.”

Perez, 33, is the Royals’ highest-paid player. He is set to make $20 million in 2024 and $22.5 million in 2025. The Royals have a club option for $13.5 million, with a $2 million buyout during his age-36 season.

The Royals would expect to receive a nice haul of prospects for trading Perez. The barrier could be how much an interested team is willing to give up. The Royals are reportedly not keen on eating a significant portion of his contract.

The Royals will likely keep veteran pitcher Zack Grienke, too. The former Cy Young Award-winner signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal this past offseason. He dealt with a shoulder injury prior to the All-Star Break and has made a couple of starts since.

Greinke is 1-11 with a 5.49 ERA. He is in his second stint with the Royals.

“I know Greinke — he likes it here,” Quatraro said. “You know, I don’t know what his contract status is with no-trades and all that kind of stuff. So I’ll know on Aug. 2.”

Need bullpen help? KC has options

While Barlow has been the hot name on the hot stove, the Royals have a few other relievers who could net long-term prospects.

One name to watch is Jose Cuas. He is 3-0 with a 4.24 ERA in 40 1/3 innings. He has allowed two runs and struck out 11 in his most recent 8 2/3 innings. His recent good work has garnered him more late-innings duty.

Clarke is another option. He has struggled in July with a 10.80 ERA, but he has also shown that he can be effective, posting a 0.71 ERA in 12 May appearances.

Seeking versatility? Got that, too

Picollo said the Royals are willing to engage in discussions with other teams regarding a number of players. The Royals have some veterans who could suit a variety of roles for contending teams.

Lopez can play three infield positions and recently started in left field. He offers elite defensive versatility, as well as a strong glove. Playoff-bound teams could view him as a critical option for improving their run-prevention.

“I think I’m a very valuable piece to any team,” Lopez said, “being able to play Gold Glove defense at three positions in the infield. Also, you can throw me in the three positions in the outfield as well.”

Other Royals, perhaps Jordan Lyles, Matt Duffy and/or Edward Olivares, could also be in play. Each is unlikely to be traded, but the right team could utilize their respective strengths.

Lyles can eat innings. Duffy has postseason experience. And Olivares could be a late-season power bat off the bench. Duffy is a free agent after the season, while Lyles is owed $8.5 million in 2024.

The final verdict

The Royals are in a “season of evaluation,” and the trade deadline is the next step in that process.

The team has already released multiple veterans and elevated prospects to the big-league level.

That’s likely to continue. Barlow is a name to watch closely ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Relievers tend to move, given their importance in postseason games.

Watch for a few minor moves, as well. The Royals could take advantage of this chance to add one or more developmental prospects in the right deal, or deals.