Five Players the Royals Could Extend This Offseason

A significant factor in Pasquantino’s breakout has been his improvement in hitting the ball with more authority. His 10.5% barrel rate is a 3.4% improvement from a season ago, and his 33.6% launch angle sweet-spot percentage is nearly two percentage points better as well. He also has seen less fluctuation in his expected slugging compared to previous seasons, as illustrated in his career xSLG rolling chart, via Baseball Savant.

The only concern with Pasquantino is that he doesn’t offer much value beyond his bat.

According to Savant, the 27-year-old has been worth eight outs below average, which ranks in the 5th percentile. His arm strength also ranks in the 14th percentile. Lastly, Pasquantino can be a bit of a clog on the bases. He’s produced four runs below average in terms of baserunning runs via Savant, and his sprint speed ranks in the ninth percentile.

As a result, his FanGraphs WAR is only 1.4 this year. That’s lower than pitchers Stephen Kolek (1.7) and Noah Cameron (1.7), and even Cole Ragans (1.8), who’s only pitched in 57.1 innings this year.

Considering this may be the peak of what we will see from Vinnie offensively, a long-term extension may be difficult for the Royals to stomach, especially since his defense and speed likely won’t get better with age.

Maikel Garcia, 3B/INF

There were question marks about what Garcia’s role in Kansas City would be in 2025 after a down season in 2024, in which he slashed .231/.281/.332 with a .613 OPS in 626 plate appearances. Those concerns were illustrated by his not starting on Opening Day, as Jonathan India played third base instead (boy, that was a choice).

Despite those initial apprehensions from the organization and fanbase, Garcia has had a career season in 2025.

In 648 plate appearances, Garcia is slashing .286/.352/.452 with an .804 OPS. He also has hit 16 home runs, which is five more than in his last two seasons combined. Despite the power boost, he hasn’t slowed down on the basepaths. He has continued to be a force with five triples and 23 stolen bases.

In addition to his offensive explosion this year, the 25-year-old third baseman has bounced back defensively. After posting a +15 OAA in 2023, his total regressed to +2 in 2024. This year? He’s back to a +16 OAA mark, which ranks in the 98th percentile. Garcia could likely collect his first Gold Glove Award this season.

Thus, it’s not a surprise that Garcia made his first All-Star team this season and is sporting a 5.5 fWAR, making him one of the top position players in the game.

Garcia doesn’t profile as a typical third baseman, especially with a 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame. However, he has shown significant progression with his power tool over the past year, especially in the area of launch angle.

In his previous two seasons, Garcia had hit the ball hard (45.6% career hard-hit rate) but was not able to get much loft, as illustrated by average launch angles of 6.1 degrees and 6.4 degrees in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

This year, his average launch angle is 9.4 degrees, and he has seen much more stability in his rolling launch angle in 2025 compared to previous seasons.

If the Royals believe that Garcia’s power will continue to mature in 2026 and beyond, he should be a straightforward extension candidate this offseason.

Kris Bubic, LHP

Bubic seemed to be a lock to be an extension candidate after making the All-Star Game with a 2.48 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 113 strikeouts in 18 starts and 108.2 innings pitched in the first half.

Unfortunately, he only made two starts after the All-Star Break and landed on the 60-day IL due to a left rotator cuff strain, which effectively ended his season.

Thus, there’s a level of risk right now with Bubic, and the Royals already signed Seth Lugo to an extension, who’s out for the remainder of the season due to a back injury.

Still, when healthy, Bubic may be the best strikeout artist in the Royals rotation beyond Ragans.

In 2024, in relief, the 28-year-old Stanford product posted a 32.2% K-rate and 30.5% whiff rate. This season, he generated a 24.4% K-rate and 28.8% whiff rate in 20 starts and 116.1 IP.

What was most impressive about Bubic was how he generated his strikeouts: with four-seamers up and changeups, sweepers, and sliders down.

The breakdown of his K-rate by zone via Savant this season illustrates that.

There’s no question that results have been there for Bubic when healthy. Unfortunately, staying healthy has been a challenge, as he has only accumulated 162.2 IP in the past three years. For context, that’s fewer innings than Michael Wacha has thrown this season alone.

With only one year left of team control, the Royals only have this offseason to decide on Bubic’s long-term future. If they think he can be healthy long-term, an extension may be in store by spring training. If not, then they could trade him to get some offensive help.

Salvador Perez, C/1B

This one would not be a long-term extension. At 35 years old, Perez may only have a couple of seasons left before retirement. However, he has a club option for 2026, and the Royals will likely decline that option to negotiate a multi-year deal to keep Perez and help him finish his career in Kansas City.

The main question is this: How long do the Royals keep Perez?

There’s no question that Perez brings much-needed power and run production to this lineup. He’s hit 30 home runs this season, becoming the second catcher in MLB history, along with Johnny Bench, to hit 300 or more home runs in his career while playing for only one team.

At the very least, Perez should be a candidate for 20-25 home runs over the next couple of years, which should keep him in the middle of the lineup, even if the Royals acquire hitting help this offseason. However, his defensive outlook is a lot hazier.

While his arm strength is still top-notch (he ranks in the 84th percentile in caught stealing above average, via Savant), he has been worth 14 blocks below average and -6 framing runs. Those figures rank in the second and 15th percentiles, respectively.

Are the Royals willing to move him more to DH over the next two to three years, and will they be willing to commit more than two seasons to a player who will be in his late-thirties soon?

It’s not a question of whether Salvy will stay in Kansas City, but how long, especially with some promise at the catching position in their organization.

Carter Jensen, C

Speaking of promise, Royals No. 3 prospect Carter Jensen has demonstrated that he can be a part of the Royals’ long-term plans as soon as next season.

In 52 plate appearances, the local Kansas City product is slashing .304/.385/.565 with a .950 OPS and two home runs. While the Royals gave up a key player in backup catcher Freddy Fermin at the trade deadline, Jensen has seemed to fit in well in Fermin’s absence and offers more long-term value as well.

An extension for Jensen may be a risk, especially since he has only 16 MLB games under his belt. However, if Jensen continues to progress in 2026, not only would he be ready for the starting gig when Perez retires, but he could be pretty expensive by 2026 or 2027.

The Royals could extend Jensen now, taking on that risk, but gaining some important cost control for years to come. That move would not only give them stability at catcher for the long-term future, but also allow them a blueprint for who to build around when in free agency and trades this offseason and next.