Big decision on Vinnie Pasquantino likely coming this season for KC Royals

There was a time when the biggest Vinnie Pasquantino question facing the Kansas City Royals was the timing of the early contract extension which seemed so inevitable. He was, to be sure, the best first base fit the club had found since free agency swept Eric Hosmer out of KC after the 2017 season. His production, potential, and popularity combined to make him so.

But now, not even a month into a new season, the "Pasquantino Question" has changed. While a long-term contract is still a possibility, just what to do with him is the bigger question the Royals must make about their slugging first baseman. And it may well require an answer before the 2025 campaign ends.

The club can thank Jac Caglianone for that.

Jac Caglianone will force the KC Royals to make a Vinnie Pasquantino call

The focus of the Pasquantino issue has been shifting ever since Kansas City snatched up Caglianone with their first pick in last summer's amateur draft. Although he was a formidable college two-way player, Caglianone came to the Royals as primarily a first baseman, which thrust him squarely into Pasquantino's world. There was little talk, if any, of the young phenom bumping Pasquantino immediately, but that doesn't mean no one was thinking about it.

They had to be. Caglianone is a rare, perhaps even generational, talent who, if all pans out, should one day take his place alongside George Brett and Bobby Witt Jr. as one of the most rounded and talented players ever to don a KC uniform. Nothing has been discovered that he doesn't do well — before his recent slump at Double-A Arkansas, which reflects what even the greatest ballplayers occasionally suffer more than it does any flaws in his game, Caglianone was slashing .346/.406/.615.

And for the record, he appeared to have broken free of that 2-for-28 slump when he went 3-for-5 with a grand slam against San Antonio Saturday, then 2-for-3 with an RBI against those same Missions on Sunday. He'll enter Tuesday's home game against Tulsa boasting six homers, 20 RBI, 11 doubles, and a triple, and a slump-damaged but improving .247/.312/.421 line.

Why Caglianone is changing the Pasquantino landscape should be clear — he's too good not to seriously challenge Pasquantino for the first base job, and probably too talented not to win it. He isn't ready to step into that fray just yet, but may be well-positioned to do so yet this season ... and perhaps sooner rather than later.

Then, and barring troubles at the plate the big league rookie-to-be can't overcome in timely fashion, the Royals will have decisions to make about Pasquantino.

What will the Royals do with Vinnie Pasquantino if Jac Caglianone quickly clicks?

The Royals will have two primary options with Pasquantino if they summon Caglianone, who MLB Pipeline says is the organization's No. 1 prospect, to the big club and he wastes no time establishing himself as a hitter to be reckoned with at the major league level.

One of the two Pasquantino options is to trade him. Assuming he improves by then on his poor start to this season, the big first baseman could attract serious trade deadline attention and reap a significant return.

The better route for the Royals, however, is to keep Pasquantino. This is a team perennially in need of the punch and power he provides — despite missing the last month of the 2024 regular season with a thumb injury, Pasquantino still finished the campaign with 19 homers, 97 RBI, a .262 average, and a 108 wRC+.

Yes, he's missed some time with injuries since making his big league debut with the Royals in 2022 and homering 10 times, and slashing .295/.383/.450 in 72 games. But surgery resolved a troublesome labrum issue in 2023, and the thumb fracture that forced him out of action last year was a bit freakish and unlikely to recur.

So, what to do with Pasquantino if Caglianone blossoms? Simple. Make him the club's primary designated hitter, a job for which he's well-suited. That keeps his big bat on the roster and in the lineup. The move would guarantee the club excellent and proven first base insurance, and manager Matt Quatraro could still give Salvador Perez time in the spot when he requires a break from catching.

What happens depends, of course, on when Caglianone convinces the Royals he's ready to take a shot at the big leagues. Don't count out this season as being that time.