The Kansas City Royals missed the postseason in 2025 after going 82-80 and finishing in third place in the American League Central.
What ultimately failed them was their offense, or lack thereof. They scored only 651 runs during the regular season, the third-worst mark in the Junior Circuit. But not every aspect of 2025 was a failure, as players such as Maikel Garcia stepped up.
The 25-year-old third baseman is arbitration eligible for the first time in 2026. Often times, when players don’t reach an agreement with their team, a contract extension takes place instead. This could ultimately be what happens with Garcia in the offseason.
It would make sense for the Royals to give Garcia a contract extension and buy out the final three years of arbitration. He is not a free agent at the end of 2026. He is under contract through the 2030 season.
But he certainly performed well in 2025 and has earned the right to at least be considered for a bit of a raise. The All-Star hit .286/.351/.449 with 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 23 stolen bases, a 5.8 WAR and an .800 OPS.
To provide the best possible framework for a potential extension, we must look back at other pre-arbitration extensions. Prior to 2023, the Cincinnati Reds gave Hunter Greene a six-year, $53 million contract extension. The Cleveland Guardians also gave Emmanuel Clase a five-year, $20 million contract extension.
Garcia will certainly not cost as much as Bobby Witt Jr., who got a 14-year, $148.78 million contract extension prior to 2024. But the deals given to Clase and Greene seem to be logical templates for a Garcia extension.
The 25-year-old only just emerged as a prolific offensive player for Kansas City. The Royals are a small-market team and would likely do their best to avoid overpaying a player such as Garcia, who made $774,750 in 2025 according to Spotrac.
Clase’s deal pays him $4 million annually. The Royals could easily work out that kind of deal for Garcia. Our projection is that Garcia will receive a deal that will keep him under contract through 2030. He is set to enter free agency before that season. To be exact, a five-year, $25 million contract that would pay him $5 million annually would make sense.
More MLB: Royals Offseason Primer: 2 Affordable Bats That Could Boost Lineup For 2026
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