KC Royals dodged a bullet by not trading Vinnie Pasquantino last offseason

The Kansas Royals were plenty aggressive in player acquisition following their failed 2023 MLB season. Fans would hope any team would have a quick, decisive, and efficient response after a 100-loss season, but the Royals' improvement from 2023 to 2024 ranks among the best ever in baseball history. From shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. ascending to superstar status, to veteran pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha transforming the pitching culture, to an aggressive trade deadline approach, Kansas City did nearly everything fans could ask for in 2024.

However, it’s a move they didn’t make that could prove the best one for the team’s future.

The 2023 Royals pitching rotation was among the worst in the league. The group's 5.12 ERA ranked 27th out of 30 MLB teams, while the expected statistics (4.70 xFIP) or long-term projectability (4.72 SIERA) did not offer any relief. The front office had to make a move addressing starting pitching, something they ultimately did on the free agent market. However, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Kansas City explored a possible solution that would have cost them popular first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.

KC Royals considered trading Vinnie Pasquantino to Marlins

On January 2, Rosenthal reported that the Royals and the NL East’s Miami Marlins discussed a trade during last year’s winter meetings that would have sent Pasquantino to Miami. In return, Kansas City would have received left-handed pitcher Jesús Luzardo, giving the Royals another starter to build around alongside lefty Cole Ragans. At the time, the deal wasn’t received poorly, even given Pasquantino’s popularity.

Through 2023, Luzardo had proven to be an above-average MLB starter, finishing with a 10-10 record and a 3.58 ERA. That level of consistency would have been a welcome addition in Kansas City after a year of revolving-door pitching issues rather than solutions. However, that possible player swap could have provided more problems for the Royals in 2024.

Luzardo made only 12 starts this season, posting a 5.00 ERA and a 3-6 record and only managing four quality starts for the Marlins before his season ended prematurely. The lefty's last appearance came on June 16, when a stress reaction in his lower back not only hampered him but kept him off the mound entirely. From that point, he was limited to staying in shape and turning his focus to 2025, while the Marlins struggled to regain their 2023 momentum.

"This year was very frustrating, but it's something that motivates me and gives me more desire to come back stronger and ready to move forward next year," Luzardo said to Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base. "I want it to be a good year for me as a pitcher and for the team as well. Now I'm going to focus a lot more on my body and on doing everything better."

Meanwhile, Pasquantino posted his first full MLB season, playing in 131 games and slashing .262/.315/.446 at the plate. The 26-year-old further established himself as a key player in Kansas City, driving in a career-high 97 RBIs — production that wasn’t fully appreciated until his season-altering injury in late August. The Royals’ lineup wasn’t the same without the Old Dominion product batting third, making his postseason return all the more satisfying.

Even though October ended sooner than Kansas City hoped, it’s hard to imagine they would have made it that far without Pasquantino in the lineup. Sure, their starting pitching propelled them to success last season, but they needed runs scored at key moments. Looking back, it’s impossible to view the potential Luzardo-Pasquantino trade as a missed opportunity. Instead, Kansas City appears to be the smarter team for holding onto their first baseman, keeping him under team control for his prime years.