Michael Wacha agrees to new contract with Royals

Jaylon Thompson, The Kansas City Star on Nov 3, 2024

Published in Baseball

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals announced a new contract for right-handed starter Michael Wacha on Sunday afternoon.

Wacha, 33, was set to decide on a $16 million player option this offseason. The Royals had expressed optimism in retaining Wacha for 2025, and on Sunday, both sides agreed to a new three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year in 2028.

The Kansas City Star confirmed the deal is for three years, $50 million — up to $54 million with performance bonuses — and could be worth as much as four years, $72 million with the option. ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the financial terms.

“I can’t say enough good things about him as a teammate. I really can’t,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Wacha earlier this year. “He is the most dialed-in pitcher I have ever seen when he’s not pitching. He’s into every pitch. ... He is the consummate professional.”

This season, Wacha thrived in the starting rotation. He was a veteran leader to young starters Cole Ragans, Brady Singer and Alec Marsh. In 29 starts, Wacha finished 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA.

Wacha registered 145 strikeouts and 45 walks in 166 2/3 innings. He turned in 14 quality starts.

The Royals relied on new pitching additions Wacha and 2024 All-Star Seth Lugo en route to their first playoff berth since 2015. Wacha was instrumental in helping during bullpen sessions and implemented in-game huddles with the other starters.

“For Lugo and Wacha to take that role is just amazing,” Marsh said earlier this season. “It’s been super important for me because they have given me information that I would never even think about and allowing me to grow with experience over time.”

Wacha also improved throughout the season. He added a new slider with the encouragement of Royals pitching coaches Brian Sweeney and Zach Bove. The pitch registered a 37.3 whiff rate and a 11.9 put-away percentage, per Baseball Savant.

The Royals will now return their entire starting rotation. Wacha was a top priority for the Royals front office this offseason. Now, the club will turn its attention to finding a new leadoff hitter and more offensive firepower.

Wacha enjoyed his time in Kansas City. He often expressed his enjoyment to play for the organization and live in a Midwestern city.

“It has been great here in Kansas City,” Wacha said during the postseason. “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.”

The Royals offered him some long-term security after he achieved career marks with the organization.

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