An undated picture of All-Star third baseman Maikel Garcia. — Reuters
KANSAS CITY: The Kansas City Royals are finalising a five-year, $57.5 million extension with All-Star third baseman Maikel Garcia, international media reported on Friday.
According to reports, the deal with the 2025 Gold Glove winner includes a club option for a sixth year and is pending the results of a physical examination.
Garcia, 25, batted .286 last season, hitting 16 home runs and 39 doubles, with 74 RBIs, 81 runs, and 23 stolen bases across 160 games.
Under the new contract, Garcia is set to earn $4 million in 2026, which would have been his first year of salary arbitration. His salary then increases each year: $7 million in 2027, $10 million in 2028, $13 million in 2029, and $19 million in 2030. The club also holds an option for 2031 at $21 million.
The contract includes additional escalators for the 2030 and 2031 seasons, as well as a signing bonus and a $3.2 million buyout for the club option, bringing the total guaranteed money to $57.5 million.
Signed out of Venezuela in 2016, Garcia has compiled a career batting average of .263, with 27 home runs, 87 doubles, 184 RBIs, 225 runs, and 83 stolen bases in 449 games since making his Royals debut in 2022.
Media reports noted that the extension runs through 2031, covering four years of arbitration eligibility (2026–29) and his first two seasons of free agency.