The Kansas City Royals have found their way back into contention after choosing to buy at the trade deadline as opposed to selling. They brought in some key veterans to bolster the offense, which had been their achilles heel for much of the 2025 season. Following a 6-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday to clinch the series, they are now just two games back of the Seattle Mariners for the third and final American League Wild Card spot.
The Royals won 86 games last year and were the second Wild Card team. They swept the Baltimore Orioles in the first round before bowing out in the ALDS after losing to the eventual pennant-winning New York Yankees.
This season, they have watched several key players step up and take on larger roles. One of those players in first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who has put together a strong season at the plate. Mike Gillespie of Kings of Kauffman listed three players the Royals should hand out contract extensions to, and he called on the team to extend Pasquantino.
“Yes, the time has come for Kansas City to bind Pasquantino to the club for several years. Naysayers may balk at the notion because the big first baseman is under team control through the 2028 campaign, meaning the Royals can keep his salary under market value while still deriving the benefits he brings to the club,” Gillespie writes.
“Pasquantino has checked the boxes for an early extension, and his play this season proves the Royals should strive to keep him for a long time. The solo homer he blasted in the fifth inning of Thursday afternoon’s victory over Texas gave him his club-leading (and career high) 26th of the season; his 87 RBI will almost assuredly allow him to reach 100, a mark a late-season visit to the injured list cheated him out of last year, he’s an above-league-average first baseman, and his role as a key team leader is undisputed.”
Pasquantino is hitting .262/.325/.466 this season with a 1.4 WAR, a .790 OPS and a 118 OPS+. He has been one of the team’s key contributors this year and is one of the main reasons why they remain in contention.
Extending him long-term would be smart, as it would allow the Royals to continue locking up their core for the next several years. We’ll see if the Royals decide to do this.
More MLB: Royals’ Vinnie Pasquantino Has Relatable Yankees, Red Sox Admission
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