The Kansas City Royals no longer have two of their best players on league-minimum salaries.
First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and third baseman Maikel Garcia are both headed to arbitration for the first time. They timed it well, as Pasquantino is coming off a 32-homer, 113-RBI season, while Garcia put up 5.8 wins above replacement, tied with José Ramírez for the most among big-league third basemen.
Both players are interesting candidates for extensions, as they stand to be good for much longer than the length of their current contracts. But is either of them likely to receive such an extension?
On Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com explained that it would make sense for the Royals to try to extend both Garcia and Pasquantino, but that the latter might be more likely to actually accept such an arrangement.
“Garcia and Pasquantino are both arbitration-eligible for the first time, and it would make a lot of sense for Kansas City to buy out those years and see if it can tack on a few free-agent years — if each player is willing,” Rogers wrote.
“I would think Pasquantino would make more sense here — and he’s probably my answer to your question — as he’ll be 31 years old by the time he hits free agency. Guaranteed money and cost certainty help both sides here.”
Pasquantino actually hits free agency a year sooner than Garcia, who is a “super-two” player and will be arb-eligible for four years instead of three. But first basemen don’t necessarily age as well in general, and Garcia is undoubtedly the more athletic player of the two.
That’s not to say that the Royals shouldn’t try to extend Garcia as well, and because he only has one good season under his belt, perhaps there’s a chance he’ll accept such a deal heading into his age-26 campaign.
But the Royals have to stick to realistic possibilities and work within the realm of their current payroll. If Pasquantino can be extended through age 34 or 35, the solution may make sense for all parties.
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