The Royals have a roster decision looming, and it could come down to choosing between two first basemen with very different timelines.
Jac Caglianone looks like the kind of bat Kansas City wants to build around. In his sophomore season, he posted an .834 OPS, a mark that already tops any full-season number Vinnie Pasquantino has put together.
The power is real, the upside is bigger, and the Royals believe the 23-year-old has a chance to turn into a middle-of-the-order force for years to come. He’s even been viewed as someone who could reach a 40-homer season as soon as next year.
The problem is where he stands on the field. Caglianone’s arm is elite, but his range in right field was a major issue in 2026.
With -9 Outs Above Average, he was the worst right fielder in baseball among players who logged at least 700 innings there. That kind of defensive strain is hard to ignore over a full season, which is why first base looms as the cleaner fit long term.
That’s where the Royals’ dilemma gets real. Pasquantino has been a valuable player since debuting in 2022 and remains a fan favorite, but Caglianone’s presence changes the conversation. If Kansas City believes Caglianone belongs at first, Pasquantino becomes the odd man out.
The roster around them only sharpens that tension. Carter Jensen also looks like a difference-maker after hitting 27 home runs and driving in 81 during his rookie season.
He’s not projected to win AL Rookie of the Year, but he should get plenty of attention. As the Royals’ full-time catcher, Jensen will still need at-bats at DH, and with Salvador Perez still on the roster, the lineup only has so much room.
Beyond those names, the organization keeps adding more young hitters. Angeibel Gomez, Zion Rose, and Blake Mitchell are all part of the wave, with Mitchell set to push quickly after his own successful 2026 season. Kansas City suddenly has a lot of power bats, especially left-handed ones, and that only increases the squeeze on the current roster.
Pasquantino’s performance in 2026 also complicates the picture. After a rough start and a stint on the IL, he settled in at the plate and found his power late.
He had only nine home runs in 337 at-bats through the end of August, then hit eight more in September alone. That surge suggested he was finally healthy, and it also helped strengthen his trade value.
He made progress defensively too. Pasquantino wasn’t known for his glove over his first four big league seasons, but he took a noticeable step forward at first base this year and even earned a Gold Glove nomination along with his fellow Royals infielders. Around the league, that kind of improvement matters.
Still, the contract and the roster math point in a different direction. Pasquantino is set to make around $7 million in 2027, which would make him one of the team’s higher-paid players.
For a Royals club dealing with pitching injuries and several other needs, that money could be redirected elsewhere. Teams such as the Cleveland Guardians, New York Mets, and Arizona Diamondbacks could be among the clubs with enough pitching depth to make a deal work, while lacking a clear answer at first base.
That’s what makes this such a difficult but potentially smart move for Kansas City: Pasquantino may never have more trade value than he does right now, and the Royals may already have his replacement in house.
In Other News...
Royals Fans May Not Realize What Danny Jackson Did In 1985
The 1985 World Series already has a permanent place in Royals lore, but Danny Jackson carved out a smaller piece of history during Game 5 that even he did not fully appreciate for decades. In the middle of the championship run, Jackson delivered the only immaculate inning ever thrown in the postseason, striking out three batters on nine pitches and adding a little-known footnote to one of the most celebrated nights in franchise history.
Jackson did not learn just how rare that feat was until 30 years later, when a trivia question at a Royals game put the achievement back in front of him. For a team that still celebrates the 1985 title as its signature moment, it is a reminder that some of the most remarkable details from that season were hidden in plain sight, waiting for fans and even the pitcher himself to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Suddenly Face A Vinnie Pasquantino Debate They Can't Ignore
The Royals have been borrowing from the organizational playbooks of the Brewers and Rays, adding personnel from those clubs in an effort to sharpen their own approach. It is the kind of quiet front-office work that can shape a roster over time, and it comes alongside a fresh round of moves that saw several players outrighted to the minors.
In that larger picture, Vinnie Pasquantino has become impossible to ignore. His season often begins slowly, but the underlying offensive profile has remained steady enough to keep his value in focus, which is why the possibility of moving him has turned into a real debate rather than a passing thought. For a Royals team trying to take cues from some of the most efficient organizations in the sport, what it does with a bat like Pasquantino's may end up being one of the more revealing decisions ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Prospect Brooks Bryan Is Forcing A New Conversation
Brooks Bryan is making his Arizona Fall League stint look like more than a simple post-injury tuneup. The Royals catching prospect has been one of the brighter bats for the Surprise Saguaros, launching three home runs in six games while mostly working at first base, a reminder that his offensive tools are starting to show up in a bigger way after a difficult year.
The production has been loud enough to turn heads inside the organization, especially with the way he has generated it. Bryan is hitting .296 with a .704 slugging percentage and a 1.049 OPS, and his recent power display has included a 442-foot blast and a go-ahead three-run homer. For a player coming off an injury-shortened Single-A season, the early Fall League run is giving the Royals a fresh look at what kind of conversation he might eventually force. [Read more 🡒]