The Royals are headed into an offseason that figures to move fast, and that usually means every part of the roster gets put on the table. Kansas City needs upgrades after a disappointing step back in 2026, and the temptation to get creative is real. That’s why Vinnie Pasquantino’s name has surfaced in trade talk, including a suggestion from Perla Paredes at MLB.com.
It’s not a wild idea on the surface. Pasquantino is still the Royals’ main first baseman, but if Kansas City decides to use a trade to address its pitching, he could be one of the position players it considers moving. That kind of deal would also clear a path for Jac Caglianone to settle in at first base on a more permanent basis.
But the case for moving Pasquantino starts to weaken once you dig into what he actually brings.
A year ago, trading him would have sounded almost absurd. In 2025, he hit .264/.335/.477 with 32 home runs and 113 RBIs.
In 2026, he slipped to .249/.333/.428 with 17 home runs in 114 games. That drop, plus the fact that he has only two years left before free agency, has naturally raised the question of whether he still fits the Royals’ long-term picture.
Still, Kansas City needs his bat, and his 2026 line was hardly a collapse.
The strongest argument for dealing him is Caglianone’s emergence. Drafted as a first baseman out of Florida, he was moved to the outfield to make room for Pasquantino.
The transition was workable for a 250 pound-Adonis, but his defensive numbers in the outfield, including Outs Above Average, were poor. He also battled a string of injuries out there: a shoulder injury after crashing into the wall in June, another shoulder issue after a diving catch in July, and an elbow injury on a throw in September.
Even so, he’s 23 and still learning the position. The Royals should not treat one injury-marred season as reason to stop his development in the outfield.
Poor defensive metrics at this stage do not close the door on him improving, especially with his athleticism. Bobby Witt Jr. was not a good defender when he first moved to shortstop and is now a Platinum Glove winner.
Caglianone has the kind of arm that could play in right field, with throws in the high-90s, and if his range becomes good enough, he could be a real weapon out there.
The injury question with Pasquantino cuts the other way, too. He missed the second half of 2023 with a torn labrum.
A collision at first base ended his 2024 season in late August when he fractured his thumb. Back and wrist injuries cost him nearly 50 games this year.
That’s a frustrating list, but the source of those injuries looks more like bad luck than a lasting physical problem. And the Royals have already seen how much his absence hurts the lineup.
Their offense cratered in September of 2024 after he got hurt, and they nearly missed the playoffs.
There’s also the slow-start issue, which has become part of the conversation around him. Pasquantino is a career .207/.300/.382 hitter in April, and his first-half numbers lag well behind his second-half production.
Before the All-Star break, he has hit .247/.318/.409; after it, he has hit .289/.353/.521. Kansas City’s slow start in 2026 was tied in part to early offensive struggles from both Pasquantino and Salvador Perez.
But a hot April or a cold April doesn’t change the basic truth: games in April count the same as games in September, and monthly splits alone are a shaky reason to move a productive hitter.
On the whole, Pasquantino has been a steady above-average presence. Even with the slow start this season, he finished at .249/.333/.428 with an OPS+ of 113, right in line with his previous two years. Despite missing seven weeks, his 2.5 fWAR ranked 13th among first basemen.
If Kansas City trades him, it doesn’t just create a vacancy at first. It likely shifts Caglianone back to the infield and leaves the Royals searching for outfield help, too.
Can they find an outfielder who can produce an OPS+ of 113? Only 26 outfielders with at least 300 plate appearances reached that level last year.
And the Royals already need help in left and center field. Rebuilding three outfield spots in one offseason would be a massive ask, especially with a mediocre free-agent class and fewer right-handed hitters of quality available across the league.
Then there’s the clubhouse piece, which matters even if it doesn’t show up in a box score. Pasquantino has been the face of the team and a voice inside it when things have gotten rough.
After this season, he called the year a “failure” and said the team needed to live up to expectations. When the Royals struggled last year, he said, “It starts with me.”
After Carter Jensen missed a game for oversleeping, he made the point bluntly: “It can’t happen.”
Bobby Witt Jr. leads in his own way, more by example than by volume. Pasquantino is the kind of presence teammates tend to rally around. That makes him useful in ways that go beyond his numbers, and it’s a big reason the Royals should think twice before shopping him.
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For the Royals, the attention has only grown as one prospect works his way back from injury and begins to demand a different look from evaluators. Even with pitchers like Justin Lamkin turning in a dominant 4 1/3 perfect innings for Surprise and others such as Briggs McKenzie logging notable outings, the week still belonged to the bats, including Kilbys second AFL homer and Jared Thomas driving in nine runs. [Read more 🡒]