5 richest contracts handed out in KC Royals history

The Kansas City Royals have seen plenty of superstars grace their dugout over the years, and as is the case with most incredible athletes, those superstars often come at a price. While the Royals aren't known to be one of the biggest-spending teams in MLB, they've certainly loosened the purse strings to retool their roster when needed — especially over the last few seasons.

Here are the five richest contracts in Royals' history, ranked based on each deal's average annual value (AAV).

5. Seth Lugo — 3 years, $45 million

The Royals signed free agent starter Seth Lugo to a three-year, $45 million contract on December 12, 2023, with the guaranteed salary divided evenly across the deal's duration. The contract has an AAV of $15 million and includes an opt-out after the second season.

If Lugo's first season in Kansas City is anything to go off, the deal was definitely worth the Royals' money. In just his second year as a full-time starter, the 33-year-old won his first Gold Glove Award and was selected to the All-MLB Second Team — and the impressive achievements don't end there.

In 33 regular-season starts this year, Lugo posted a 16-9 record with a 3.00 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 181 strikeouts in 206.2 innings. He finished the first half of the season tied for the most wins in the majors (11) and leading the American League in ERA (2.21), earning the first All-Star selection of his career. Lugo made two starts during Kansas City's postseason run, posting a 2.89 ERA and 8 strikeouts in 9.1 innings of work.

4. Michael Wacha — 3 years, $51 million

The most recent contract on the list, Kansas City signed veteran Michael Wacha to a three-year, $51 million deal (AAV of $17 million) on November 3, 2024, locking him in to return to the team's starting rotation for the foreseeable future. The 33-year-old pitcher will earn $18 million in each of the 2025 and 2026 seasons, and $14 million — plus a possible $4 million in performance benefits — in 2027. His contract also includes a $14 million club option for the 2028 season, with the same performance benefits as 2027, or a $1 million buyout.

While the deal is guaranteed at $51 million, it has a maximum potential value of $72 million if the club option for 2028 is exercised and all performance benefits are earned.

The Royals initially signed Wacha to a one-year, $16 million contact before the 2024 season, with a $16 million player option for 2025. After an impressive performance this year, he was widely expected to decline his option and test his value in free agency, so Wacha's lucrative new deal with Kansas City proves the team wasn't willing to risk him leaving the organization.

In 29 starts during the 2024 regular season, Wacha posted a 13-8 record with a 3.35 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 145 strikeouts in 166.2 innings. He wasn't quite as strong during his two playoff starts, recording a 5.19 ERA in 8.2 innings, but there's no denying he was crucial to the Royals' infamous comeback season.

With Cole Ragans, Lugo, and Wacha at the top of their rotation, the Royals with have an extremely fierce 1-2-3 punch on the mound in 2025.

3. Alex Gordon — 4 years, $72 million

To this day, left fielder Alex Gordon's four-year, $72 million contract (AAV of $18 million) is the largest free agent signing in Royals' history, but it was actually worth significantly less than he was expected to land in free agency.

When Gordon hit free agency at the end of 2015, he had just won a World Series title with Kansas City, had three consecutive All-Star selections to his name, and was largely considered one of the best left fielders in baseball. At the time, MLB Trade Rumors' Tim Dierkes projected Gordon would secure a five-year, $105 million deal, even going as far as to comment "Gordon’s earning power is around $100MM, so it’s hard to picture him accepting something below $75MM."

Well, there's a lot to be said for the hometown discount. It was clear Gordon had accepted a team-friendly deal to stay in Kansas City — not only was it worth less than expected, but his salary was heavily backloaded to allow the Royals to add more talent, per MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan. Gordon earned $12 million in 2016, $16 million in 2017, and $20 million in each of the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The star's contract also included a $23 million mutual option for the 2020 season with a $4 million buyout.

Although Gordon eventually declined his part of his mutual option to become a free agent at the end of the 2019 season, he did return the Royals in 2020 on a less-lucrative one-year, $4 million deal. The 8-time Gold Glove Award winner retired at the end of the 2020 season at the age of 36.

In 14 major-league seasons — all spent with the Royals — Gordon posted a .257/.338/.410 line with 190 home runs, 749 RBI, and 113 stolen bases in 1753 games.

2. Salvador Pérez — 4 years, $82 million

At the time of signing on March 21, 2021, catcher Salvador Pérez's four-year, $82 million extension (AAV of $20.5 million) was the most lucrative contract in franchise history. Under the deal, Pérez would earn $18 million in 2022, $20 million in 2023 and 2024, and $22 million in 2025. $2 million of his 2025 salary will be deferred without interest and payable on June 30, 2027.

Should the Royals decide they want to keep their captain an extra season after next year, the contract includes a $13.5 million club option for 2026 or a $2 million buyout.

“It’s hard to believe where I’m coming from, where I grew up, to see the situation I have right now, it makes me feel super happy,” Pérez told NBC Sports' Melissa Kramer after signing the extension in 2021. “My mother is going to be happy. I know my grandma is going to be happy. I know they’re excited for me to be here for four more years, maybe five.”

The 2024 season was Pérez's 14th in MLB — all spent in Kansas City — and through his career, he's posted a .267/.303/.459 line with 273 home runs, 916 RBI, and 656 runs in 1552 games. The 34-year-old has won five Gold Glove Awards, 5 Silver Slugger Awards, World Series MVP, and the Roberto Clemente Award, while also receiving nine All-Star selections and two All-MLB First Team selections.

Pérez has already had an incredible career in MLB and certainly isn't done yet. After next season, the Royals are almost certain to pick up his club option for 2026, meaning the catcher will have at least two more seasons in Kansas City to continue reinforcing his legacy.

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 [Royals owner John Sherman] 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.