Why the Royals handed Vinnie Pasquantino a new contract and avoided arbitration

The Kansas City Royals came to a contract agreement with first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino on Friday night.

Pasquantino, 28, was one of two KC players — the other being starting pitcher Kris Bubic — facing arbitration ahead of the 2026 campaign. On the Pasquantino negotiations, both sides were reportedly $500,000 apart when they exchanged salaries earlier this month.

Now the two sides have reached a resolution. Pasquantino signed a two-year contract worth $11 million. The deal can reach a maximum of $15.7 million through incentives, a source confirmed to The Star.

“Vinnie is a premier run producer, a huge part of our team and someone our fans have really connected with,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said in a news release. “We’re proud of the player he’s become, and that he’s earned this contract. We are happy as an organization and for Vinnie personally to have stability moving forward.”

The Royals continue to extend their core this offseason. Pasquantino joins Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez as players with reworked deals. Pasquantino now has financial stability after his first venture through arbitration.

It’s good value for the Royals. Pasquantino was a top offensive performer throughout the 2025 season. He posted a .264 batting average with 32 home runs and 113 RBIs in 160 games. He also finished as an American League Silver Slugger finalist.

MLB Network also ranked Pasquantino inside the top 100 players. He placed No. 93 among his peers in the annual rankings.

Pasquantino brings a lot to the table. He is a lineup anchor alongside Garcia, Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. on any given night. The Royals value Pasquantino’s left-handed bat as protection for his teammates in the batting order.

For a while, Pasquantino dealt with injury concerns. He suffered a shoulder injury and broken thumb that limited him early in his career. He was able to play a full season in 2025 and there is hope he can continue doing so moving forward.

The contract is an investment in his future. The Royals have the option to potentially hand Pasquantino another hefty deal before he reaches his age-30 season.

With spring training less than two weeks away, the Royals now turn their attention to Bubic and his contract situation. There hasn’t been an official arbitration hearing set and both sides can still negotiate toward a new deal.

Bubic is coming off a left-shoulder injury. He was a first-half star in 2025 and earned his first All-Star nomination. The Royals are confident he can return at full-strength once pitchers and catchers report in Surprise, Arizona on Feb. 10.

And Pasquantino agreeing to a deal could bode well for Bubic. The Royals have shown good faith in keeping their top players. Bubic will be on the roster in 2026 — albeit in his final year before free agency. The only question is how much he will earn.

For now, the Royals have their young core together through at least 2028, with an open window to push toward an AL Central crown.

This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 8:02 PM.