Jaylon Thompson writes about the Royals players hitting free agency this week.

He also writes about the decision the Royals will have to make on Salvador Perez’s club option.

Perez is expected to stay with the Royals in 2026. Royals general manager J.J. Picollo made that stance clear following the conclusion of the regular season.

“I think it’s safe to say that one way or another, Salvy will be in a Royals uniform in ‘26,” Picollo said. “What we do beyond that is still to be determined. But there are some things that we still need to work through and talk about.”

The Royals will take a deeper look at Perez’s long-term future. There’s a $13.5 million club option that Perez could play on after his production remained steady in his age-35 season.

David Schoenfield at ESPN looks at the be

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