Anne Rogers writes the Royals failed to come to terms with two arbitration-eligible players.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Pasquantino filed at $4.5 million, and the Royals filed at $4 million.
Bubic filed at $6.15 million, and the Royals filed at $5.15 million. Pasquantino is first-year arbitration eligible, while Bubic is entering his final year before becoming a free agent.
A hearing will be scheduled for the club and player to sit before a panel of arbitrators, which then selects either the player- or team-submitted salary figure as the player’s salary for the upcoming season. These typically happen at the end of February or early March.
Craig Brown wonders if a contract extension is in the works.
I wonder if the failure to reach an agreement with Pasquantino is a prelude to an extension. Both sides were also some distance off from the MLB Trade Rumors estimate, which has me wondering if something is afoot. I’m not thinking it’s anything like the Garcia deal that buys out a year (or potentially two) of free agency. You don’t do that with first basemen like the Pasquatch. However, they could do something like where they reach a two-year deal. That locks in some payroll certainty for the team and gives Pasquantino an opportunity to snag a large raise in his third and final season of arbitration eligibility before he hits the free agent market. That can be something of a win for both sides.
Nine teams, including the Royals, opted out of their deal with Main Street Sports, which owns FanDuel Sports Kansas City.
Another option would have Major League Baseball take over the Royals’ broadcasts. There is no chance of Royals games not being televised in 2026, a point MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made Thursday.
“No matter what happens, whether it’s Main Street, a third party or MLB media, fans are going to have the games,” Manfred told the Associated Press.
A Clay County official is no longer interested in bringing in the Royals for a new ballpark.
Clay County Western Commissioner Jason Withington said in an interview with The Star that the county gave the Royals a Thursday deadline to have a deal worked out ahead of a planned April 2026 vote on a potential future stadium.
Withington is one of seven county commissioners — and is not a member of the county’s negotiating committee with the team — but said it’s apparent to him the Royals would not meet that deadline.
“I’m done,” Withington said, adding that the team had years to come to a decision. “Everybody else (on the commission) can make up their own mind what they want to do. For me, I’m just done dealing with it. We have other issues that we need to be focused on.”
Kerry Flanagan at Royals Keep writes about five bounce-back candidates with the Royals.
Tarik Skubal and the Tigers are $13 million apart for his arbitration case.
A complete list of arbitration-eligible players that signed and did not sign.
The Yankees are offering Cody Bellinger over $30 million per year.
What would a short-term deal for Kyle Tucker look like?
Bo Bichette is scheduled to meet with the Phillies.
Davy Andrews at Fangraphs reviews the Michael Lorenzen signing in Colorado.
ESPN has an early power ranking of teams.
Rob Manfred suggests a free agent signing deadline.
He also floats the idea of split seasons and an in-season tournament.
And divisional realignment is back on the table.
Miami tops Ole Miss to head to the College Football championship game.
The Dolphins fire coach Mike McDaniel.
NASA will bring back space station astronauts early after a medical issue.
Grok makes image editing a premium service after backlash against sexual deepfakes.
The year ahead in superheroes.
Your song of the day is The Velvet Underground with Rock & Roll.
