The Royals have reached a five-year contract extension with third baseman Garcia, forming a golden left-side infield duo with Witt Jr.

Since acquiring Venezuelan prospect Maikel Garcia in 2016, the Kansas City Royals have witnessed his growth from a possible utility player to a dependable starting infielder, ultimately earning an All-Star nod and a Gold Glove at third base this season. They now intend to lock in Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. together long-term on the left side of the infield.

According to sources cited by MLB’s official website today, the Royals are about to finalize a five-year extension with Garcia that includes a team option for 2031. The guaranteed salary is reported at $57.5 million, but if the team exercises the option and activates incentive clauses, the total contract value could reach approximately $85 million. The deal is pending a physical exam and has yet to be officially announced by the club.

The contract reportedly breaks down as follows: $4 million in 2026 (his original first arbitration year), $7 million in 2027, $10 million in 2028, $13 million in 2029, and $19 million in 2030. The team option for 2031 is $21 million. The agreement also includes a signing bonus and a $3.2 million buyout on the option, totaling $57.5 million guaranteed. This contract covers Garcia’s four arbitration years plus at least one free-agent year (two if the option is picked up), keeping him with the Royals until at least age 30. This means Garcia, alongside Witt Jr., who signed an 11-year deal in 2024, will be a core part of Kansas City’s infield left side through at least the 2030 season, preserving one of the league’s top combinations for the team’s competitive window.

Last season marked Garcia’s fourth year in the majors and his breakout campaign. He appeared in 160 games, posting a slash line of .286/.351/.449, hitting a career-high 16 home runs, driving in 74 runs, stealing 23 bases, earning his first All-Star selection and Gold Glove, and finishing 14th in the American League MVP voting.

Garcia comes from a baseball family; his cousins include Ronald Acuña Jr. and Alcides Escobar, the latter of whom was the 2015 ALCS MVP with the Royals. Garcia signed with Kansas City as a professional at age 16 and steadily progressed, making his MLB debut in 2022. After several years of adjustment, he fully blossomed this past summer. His excellent plate discipline keeps the team optimistic about his continued development: in 2025, he achieved an 86.5% contact rate, chased pitches outside the zone just 20.8% of the time, and had a 15% swinging strike rate. Over 666 plate appearances last season, he walked 62 times and struck out 84 times.

In 2025, Garcia contributed 5.8 wins above replacement (WAR) according to Baseball Reference, and combined with Witt’s 7.1 WAR, the Royals’ left-side infield duo totaled an impressive 12.9 WAR in their shared age-25 season. Ensuring the team fully capitalizes on Garcia and Witt’s prime years is a top priority for Kansas City, whose lineup core also includes catcher Salvador Perez for the next two seasons and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who is entering arbitration soon.