The Kansas City Royals broke their postseason drought in 2024, reaching October for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015. They entered 2025 with expectations of returning, but that didn’t come to pass.
A year after finishing 86-76, manager Matt Quatraro’s club went 82-80, five games behind the Detroit Tigers, who won the final American League Wild Card spot.
However, it’s worth noting that Kansas City have put together two straight winning seasons, which the organization hasn’t done since 2014-15. A lot of that has to do with shortstop Bobby Witt, who led the team in bWAR for the third straight year (7.1).
Witt’s not going anywhere, as he’s signed through 2037. But could general manager J.J. Picollo start signing other promising young stars to multi-year extensions to solidify the team’s core?
If so, one of the players who could get that treatment is first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.
Pasquantino slugged 17 home runs with 97 RBI for the Royals during his first full year of playing time in 2024 (131 games). He followed that up with an even more powerful year. His OPS improved from .760 to .798, which included new career-high marks in homers (32), doubles (33), RBI (113), and run scored (72).
The left-handed slugger is under team control via arbitration until 2029, so it’s not like he’s on the verge of hitting the open market. But if the 28-year-old continues to put up big power numbers, his annual compensation will continue to rise.
As it currently stands, MLB Trade Rumors is projecting his 2026 salary to settle in at $5.4 million via arbitration. However, Caleb Moody of FanSided’s Kings of Kauffman thinks Pasquantino is one of four players the Royals should think hard about possibly extending this winter.
Moody said the reasoning behind extending the “Pasquatch” goes beyond just what he’s done on the field the past two seasons.
“He’s really taken the onus on himself to be the vocal leader in the clubhouse, saying what needs to be said at multiple dire points this season,” Moody wrote.
“What an optimal extension may look like for someone like Pasquantino remains to be seen. However, whether it be just a short-term extension to buy out his remaining arbitration years or going big for a long-term extension, ensuring a cornerstone of this franchise and major clubhouse leader is secured for the foreseeable future seems like a no-brainer for J.J. Picollo and the front office.”
Pasquantino is a homegrown player, a strong voice in the clubhouse, and the biggest power bat in the Royals’ lineup. Ensuring he remains in Kansas City’s lineup for the foreseeable future at a known price will only help the front office build out the rest of its roster.
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