The Kansas City Royals have fought their way back into the American League Wild Card picture. They have stumbled a little bit lately, but have been playing much better baseball. With 30 games left on the regular season schedule, the Royals are 67-65 and four games back of the Seattle Mariners for the final spot. They won 86 games last year and won the second AL Wild Card before beating the Baltimore Orioles in the first round and falling short in the ALDS against the New York Yankees.
They have witnessed several key players step up this season. One player in particular who has improved drastically is third baseman Maikel Garcia. He was an All-Star for the first time this season and entrenched himself as the team’s starting third baseman.
Andrew Banks of Kings of Kauffman predicts that soon Garcia and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino could receive contract extensions, and he predicted what one might look like for Garcia.
“A four or five-year deal seems appropriate for a player of Maikel Garcia’s caliber. He’s 25, which means he would be 29 or 30 years old at the end of the agreement,” Banks wrote.
“He’s been durable, playing 157 games last season and has only missed two games this year, one being the first game of the year due to an odd managerial decision.
The Royals have a responsibility to reward players whom they’ve developed in their system and have fulfilled their commitment to them. The last thing they need is contract negotiations looming over their heads.”
Garcia has put together a very strong 2025 season. With a 4.6 WAR, he is hitting .298/.361/.466 with 13 home runs, 58 RBI, 22 stolen bases, an .827 OPS and a 130 OPS+. He can also play multiple infield positions, so if the Royals decide to give up on Jonathan India this offseason and non-tender him, they could move Garcia to second base and look for third base help this offseason.
However, Garcia has emerged as a true star in the Royals lineup, and he has helped them significantly improve their offense this year.
The 25-year-old isn’t a free agent until 2030, but it will be interesting to see what kind of contract extension he might receive if the Royals decide to go that route. They would be wise to at least offer him a new deal.
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