News broke Monday morning that the Kansas City Royals will sign Bobby Witt Jr. to the largest contract in franchise history.

Alex Gordon was the largest prior contract the Royals ever handed out at 4-years $72 million back in 2016. This deal blows that one out of the water.

The Royals sign Bobby Witt Jr. to a $288.7 million deal including a $7.77 million signing bonus, and player options from years 8-11. After year 11, it then becomes a club option for the final 3 years. This means it’s possible that the deal is actually 14 years and Witt Jr. won’t become a free agent until the 2038 season. At just 23 years old, it’s safe to say the Royals just locked him up for what should be the best years of his career.

The money is also ascending starting this year at $9.77 million before climbing all the way to $35 million by year 6. The deal is very Atlanta Braves-like, as the Royals get Witt Jr. on a bargain through his arbitration years before paying him what he’s rightfully owed during his prime.

Witt Jr. is coming off a season in which he hit 30 homeruns, drove in 96 runs, and stole 49 bases. He had an OPS of .813, which was above league average. He’s by far the Royals’ best position prospect since Whit Merrifield came up back in 2016. His electrifying speed makes him an issue for defenses whenever he puts the ball in play. And he can be just as effective with the glove, as he only made 12 errors in 149 games last season.

The Royals are Having a Sneaky Good Offseason

The news of the Witt Jr. signing is only the cherry on top of a solid offseason for the Royals. They have now signed Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Hunter Renfroe, Adam Frazier, and reliever Will Smith. Lower tiered free agents for sure, but good players nonetheless. Does this put them in a position to win a wild card spot?

Vegas first opened the Royals odds of winning the AL Central at +2000. They’ve now climbed to +1400 and sit behind the Guardians, Tigers and Twins. Kansas City hasn’t opened as AL Central favorites since 2015. Any noise they make this year would be met with a ton of surprise. So just keep an eye on the Royals.

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