Should The Royals Consider Trading Vinnie Pasquantino
Very few Royals fans would want to part with their beloved Pasquatch -- including us -- but it just makes too much sense
Trade rumors of Royals star Vinnie Pasquantino are starting to ramp up a little.
A possibility that we’ve been suggesting all season because it makes too much sense -- not because we want to see it happen -- has finally been echoed by Royals beat writer Anne Rogers.
“With much of the Royals’ lineup expected to return next season, Caglianone’s ability to play both right field and first base could provide some flexibility as Kansas City explores ways to improve its roster” she began.
It’s no secret the Royals need to improve at the pitcher position above all else. Especially in the pen. But the Royals don’t have a lot of options in terms of trade pieces. They want to keep their core in Bobby Witt Jr, Maikel Garcia, Jac Caglianone, Carter Jensen, and until recently many thought Vinnie Pasquantino.
So could they get some good arms if they wanted to part with some or any of their top prospects? Sure. But the top of the top prospects for the Royals have actually been extremely promising and just so happen to play all the positions that the Royals have been weak at -- or lacking depth in -- for a long time (i.e. pitcher, outfield, righty bats, speed). So it is our opinion the Royals won’t want to part with, likely, any of these top prospects leaving them with one of the worst farm systems by far.
Really, that leaves Vinnie as the best trade option for a few reasons.
1) Jac Caglianone
Jac, who is a natural first basemen, converted to right field when he came up for the Royals and in many ways he’s valuable there. But there’s a few problems with him there: As a very large, and recently thought to be immobile, man he has to push himself really hard to cover the field and that resulted in several nagging injuries throughout the 2026 season; the numbers would suggest he has much more success at the plate when he doesn’t have to focus on playing right field; even with maybe the best arm value in the league, Jac struggled immensely with his range this season racking up -10 Outs Above Average and a -9 Defensive Run Value this year. While I do believe he was performing much better out there at the beginning of the year -- before he played first base for 39 games when Vinnie got hurt and then developed injuries of his own -- it’s no secret that right field is something Jac struggles to play and has to exert extra effort to do such.
2) Vinnie’s Contract
This one is two-fold. The Royals will be on the hook for paying Vinnie $7,100,000 in 2027. No, this isn’t a massive superstar salary by any means but when you have to be in the market for bullpen arms, this amount can go a long way. After 2027, he’ll just have one more year with the Royals and then he’ll be a free agent. As a guy who is turning 30 next year, he likely will become more difficult to trade as the years go by.
3) The Royals DH situation
The Royals had a rotating cast of characters playing DH this year including Vinnie, Salvador Perez, Carter Jensen, Jac Caglianone, and whoever the backup defensive catcher of the month was this year. Trading Vinnie makes that spot a little less crowded; first because Vinnie won’t be filling up a spot; and second because Jac will be less likely to need to play there, assuming he’s avoiding injuries by playing first base. This also finally opens up right field for a viable righty bat that the Royals have been looking for for a long time, though I wouldn’t hold my breath on them investing in one.
We would be heartbroken to see Vinnie go. Vinnie provides an eternal brightness in the Royals dugout and we can only imagine strengthens the team chemistry in a way only he can. We don’t want to say goodbye to the Pasquatch and if he stays, good for us as viewers. But in a time where the Royals are in crisis mode; Vinnie seems to be the lone fire extinguisher behind the broken glass.
We’ll leave you with one more quote from Anne Rogers detailing Jac Caglianone’s injuries in the outfield this year:
“On June 5, Caglianone injured his right shoulder after crashing into the outfield wall while chasing down a double against the Twins in Minnesota. Although he initially remained in the game, lingering soreness forced him out of the following day’s contest. More than a month later, on July 21, Caglianone aggravated the same shoulder while attempting a diving catch down the right-field line against the Giants. He initially waved off medical attention and finished the inning before being replaced in the sixth. He was also held out of the following day’s lineup.”
She continued:
“Then, on Sept. 5, Caglianone exited against the Blue Jays with left elbow soreness after making a 95.2 mph throw from right field. Imaging later revealed a Grade 1 flexor strain, prompting the Royals to temporarily shut him down from throwing.”