Vinnie Pasquantino, KC avoid arbitration with $11 million contract

Vinnie Pasquantino was scheduled for an arbitration hearing in either February or early March. However, it appears he and the Kansas City Royals are going to avoid arbitration altogether, as the two sides agreed on a contract.

Reports indicate that the 28-year-old first baseman is signing a two-year contract worth more than $11 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. It’s said the deal can reach up to $16 million due to incentives. Pasquanito won’t have to worry about arbitration for the next two seasons.

“First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino has avoided arbitration by agreeing with the Royals on two-year contract worth more than $11 million, source tells The Athletic. Deal with incentives could max out at almost $16M. Pasquantino was first-time eligible in arbitration. He asked for $4.5M. The Royals offered $4M. New deal covers 2026 and ’27.”

Pasquantino is entering his fifth MLB season in 2026. He is coming off what is arguably the best year of his career so far, as he finished the 2025 campaign with a .264 batting average and a .323 OBP. The Royals star also recorded a career high in hits (164), home runs (32), and RBIs (113) through 160 games played out of the available 162.

This move comes just days after the Royals signed pitcher Aaron Sanchez for the spring training roster. At the very least, the club is aiming to be competitive in 2026 after just missing out on the playoffs. Kansas City has a rather loaded infield and could make some noise in the AL Central next season. Especially if Vinnie Pasquantino takes another step in development.