According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Kansas City Royals agreed to a three-year, $51 million contract with starter Michael Wacha.

Passan reported that the contract, which includes a club option for the 2028 season, could have a maximum value of $72 million.

Wacha and Kansas City originally agreed signed a two-year contract last winter. There was a player option worth $16 million in the second year.

Now the right-hander gets a little more financial security as the Royals sign him for two years longer than if he had picked up his option. At this point, Wacha is probably tired of changing uniforms.

However, his performance over the last three years has been a model of consistency. As of 2022, he has maintained a 3.30 ERA and 3.87 FIP while averaging 7.8 strikeouts to 2.5 walks per nine innings Baseball Reference.

Wacha’s move was downright dirty in 2024. According to Baseball Savant, opposing batters hit just .312 and had a 34.1 percent whiff rate on that pitch.

Pitching has long been an issue for the Royals. During a lengthy rebuild, they invested a lot of draft capital into their starting rotation and got little return on the field.

The signings of Wacha and Seth Lugo last offseason represented a slight change in direction and both ultimately exceeded expectations. Cole Ragans, who arrived from the Aroldis Chapman trade in 2023, has also performed well after Kansas City moved him from the bullpen to the full-time rotation.

Kansas City improved by 30 wins this year, from 106 losses to a wild-card spot. Given the makeup of the roster, there is no reason why the Royals can’t maintain it in 2025 and compete for the American League Central title.

Wacha being extended before he could even hit free agency was a nice boost to the overall atmosphere around the organization.