The Kansas City Royals are finalizing a five-year contract extension with third baseman Maikel Garcia worth $57.5 million, with a club option that could increase the value to $85 million. The deal secures Garcia through at least 2030 alongside shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Garcia had a breakout 2025 season, earning All-Star honors and a Gold Glove.
The Kansas City Royals have reached an agreement on a five-year extension with infielder Maikel Garcia, pending a physical, sources told MLB.com and ESPN. The contract guarantees Garcia $57.5 million and includes a club option for 2031, along with escalators that could push the total value to around $85 million. Salary details include $4 million in 2026, $7 million in 2027, $10 million in 2028, $13 million in 2029, and $19 million in 2030, with the 2031 option at $21 million. A signing bonus and $3.2 million buyout contribute to the guarantee.
This extension covers Garcia's four arbitration-eligible seasons and at least one free-agent year, keeping the 25-year-old in Kansas City through his age-30 season. Signed by the Royals as a 16-year-old international free agent from Venezuela in 2016, Garcia debuted in 2022 and established himself as a regular in 2023. His 2025 campaign marked a significant breakout, slashing .286/.351/.449 with 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 23 stolen bases, and 5.8 WAR over 160 games and 666 plate appearances. He walked 62 times, struck out 84 times, and posted an 86.5% contact rate, a 20.8% chase rate, and 15% whiff rate.
Garcia earned his first All-Star selection, won his first Gold Glove at third base, and finished 14th in AL MVP voting. Primarily playing third base, he also appeared at second base, shortstop, and center field, showcasing versatility. With Bobby Witt Jr., who signed an 11-year extension in 2024, the Royals now have one of baseball's top left-side infields locked in through 2030, combining for 12.9 WAR in 2025. Garcia hails from a baseball family, with cousins Ronald Acuña Jr. and Alcides Escobar, the latter a former Royals standout.
The Royals, who finished third in the AL Central in 2025, aim to build on their core including Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino.
