Should the Royals Lock In Maikel Garcia for the Long Haul?
Maikel Garcia is no longer just the Royals’ third baseman of the moment — he’s quickly making the case to be the cornerstone of their future. After an uneven 2024 that raised doubts about his staying power, Garcia has turned 2025 into a breakout campaign. He’s hitting with authority, flashing Gold Glove-caliber defense, and, at times, carrying an offense still trying to find consistency.
The 25-year-old is under team control through 2030 and won’t hit free agency until after the 2029 season, but as a “Super Two” player, he becomes arbitration-eligible at year’s end. That raises the big question: should Kansas City buy out those arbitration years and lock him up even longer?
Some believe the answer is a resounding yes. FanSided’s Mike Gillespie argued the Royals must strike while Garcia’s value is clear: “Proving he’s the best third-sacker Kansas City has had since Mike Moustakas, Garcia is batting .299 with a .362 OBP, 22 stolen bases, 12 home runs, and 57 RBI — all while making the American League All-Star team in July.”
For the Royals, it’s not just about rewarding production. It’s about building stability. Garcia has shown his 2024 dip was the outlier, not the norm. A contract in the neighborhood of Jake Cronenworth’s seven-year, $80 million Padres deal — or closer to $90 million adjusted for today’s market — could make sense.
The real question? Would Garcia commit, and can Kansas City thread the payroll needle to make it happen? For now, one thing’s certain: the Royals finally have a third baseman worth building around — and they may not want to wait long to secure him for the future.
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