Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Monday that the Kansas City Royals and star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. are in agreement on an 11-year, $288.7 million extension. The deal, which includes opt-outs after the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth years, is the largest contract in franchise history. Witt’s contract also includes a club option after the eleventh year that would add on an additional three years and $89 million. In total, the new face of the franchise can earn $377 million in the deal.
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Witt, only 23, began his career in the big leagues in 2022. In addition, the shortstop boasts one of the best gloves in all of baseball, ranking in the 94th percentile in fielding run value (10). He holds a career line of .265/.307/.463/.770 (111 OPS+). He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting and seventh in MVP voting in 2023. Witt finished the 2023 season with the most triples (11) in the American League and second in stolen bases (49).
The deal is the second largest for a pre-arbitration player in league history. Fernando Tatis Jr. netted a 14-million, $340 million year of his own, but Witt’s AAV exceeds Tatis’ by $2 million.
