5 richest contracts handed out in KC Royals history

1. Bobby Witt Jr. — 11 years, $288.7 million

Royals' shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. holds the richest contract in franchise history, with the superstar signing an 11-year, $288.7 million deal (AAV of $26.25 million) on February 5, 2024. Along with a $7.7 million signing bonus paid in seven installments, Witt Jr. will earn $2 million in 2024, $7 million in 2025, $13 million in 2026, $19 million in 2027, $30 million in 2028, $35 million in each of 2029 and 2030, and $35 million player options for each season from 2031-34.

Witt Jr.'s mega-deal also includes an $89 million club option for the three-season period of 2035-2037, and a full no-trade clause, likely locking the 24-year-old in for the rest of his MLB career.

“When you’re as talented as he is, the finances will take care of themselves,” Royals' general manager J.J. Picollo said after the signing in February. “But he was talking about the culture of winning. That really resonated with and me, and was probably the driving factor when we got to the finish line that we had done some things that showed we wanted to win.”

In 2024 — the first season of his new history-making contract — Witt Jr. posted a career-best line at .332/.389/.588, with 32 home runs and 109 RBI in 636 at-bats, earning his first All-Star selection. He led MLB in batting average and recorded the second 30-homer, 30-stolen base season of his career, becoming the first shortstop in MLB history to achieve multiple 30-30 seasons (he first hit the milestone in 2023). In addition to his impressive stats, Witt Jr. won a Gold Glove Award and Silver Silver Award for his work during 2024, and was nominated for the AL Hank Aaron Award.

Having only just finish the third season of his MLB career and the first of his giant contract, Witt Jr. will be in Kansas City for many years to come — and if he can turn out stats even close to those he posted in 2024, the deal will age as a great investment.