Michael Wacha may have thrown his last pitch for the KC Royals

When Michael Wacha took the mound for the Kansas City Royals to start Game 4 of the American League Division Series, it was a do-or-die situation. With the New York Yankees leading the series 2-1, the Royals needed to win on Thursday night to force a Game 5 and keep their playoff dreams alive — a feat that, ultimately, they weren't able to achieve. The Yankees eliminated the Royals from contention in four games, but that wasn't the only reason it was a sad night for Kansas City.

Game 4 of the ALDS may have been Wacha's last time wearing a Royals' uniform.

Wacha's contract with the KC Royals

Before the 2024 season, Wacha signed a one-year, $16 million contact with the Royals, with a $16 million player option for 2025. It was arguably one of the team's best free agent acquisitions in recent memory, adding a veteran to the rotation as the Royals looked to rebound after a 106-loss season in 2023.

In 29 regular-season starts this year, Wacha went 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 166.2 innings. He had two starts during the Royals postseason campaign — one in the Wild Card series against the Baltimore Orioles and one in the ALDS against the Yankees — where he didn't fare quite so well, posting an ERA of 5.19 in 8.2 innings.

Still, Wacha was an essential part of the Royals' rotation this season and significant in helping the team make the postseason. Should he choose to exercise his player option for 2025, he will certainly be welcomed back to Kansas City with open arms — but that's only if he decides to stay.

Will Wacha stay with the KC Royals for 2025?

Since leaving the St. Louis Cardinals at the end of 2019, Wacha has tried his luck in free agency each offseason, leading to one-season stints with the New York Mets (2020), Tampa Bay Rays (2021), Boston Red Sox (2022), San Diego Padres (2023), and, now, the Royals. Whether he wants to test the market again this offseason remains to be seen, but it's clearly not something he shies away from.

If Wacha decides to decline his player option and become a free agent, that doesn't mean he definitely won't be returning to the Royals — it just means the Royals will need to get him back on a new contract, which would likely cost them substantially more than the $16 million player option would have. Considering the high market value created by Wacha's strong performance in 2024, this scenario is very likely to be the one the Royals face, and there will almost certainly be a list of other teams interested in his services that Kansas City would need to beat out.

Still, after an incredible comeback season where they proved they belong in contention conversations, the Royals are in a great position to negotiate with Wacha for next season — and Wacha confirmed a return in 2025 is definitely still on the table, with or without exercising his option.

"It has been great here in Kansas City,” Wacha told MLB.com's Anne Rogers before Game 3 on Wednesday. “It's been a lot of fun getting to be in this community over the course of the summer. I feel like they've embraced me and my family. It's been great. ... Just playing in front of this fan base throughout the course of the season has been a lot of fun. They're very supportive and want the best for us. Always cheering us on. That's all you can ask for as a player.”

"I haven’t really thought too much about [the option for next season],” he continued on Thursday. “I’ve expressed to these guys how much I enjoy being here and want to be back. I guess when that time comes we’ll handle it then, but not really thinking too much about it right now."

The deadline for players to make option decisions is set for five days after the conclusion of the World Series.

Aside from Wacha, the Royals are losing pitchers Will Smith and Michael Lorenzen to free agency this offseason, as well as a slew of position players. Reliever Chris Stratton, who holds a $4.5 million player option for 2025, could be added to that list, but like Wacha, he is yet to make an official decision regarding next year.