Royals could head to arbitration hearings with Vinnie Pasquantino and Kris Bubic
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals reached 2026 agreements with six arbitration-eligible players before deadline.
- Vinnie Pasquantino and Kris Bubic did not settle and likely face arbitration hearings.
- Both remain under club control for 2026 while talks continue or hearings set.
The Kansas City Royals avoided arbitration with six players — Kyle Isbel, Bailey Falter, John Schreiber, Nick Mears, Michael Massey and Daniel Lynch IV — on Thursday.
The organization and its arbitration-eligible players had faced a Thursday deadline for exchanging salary figures. Each of the six players received 2026 contracts after becoming arbitration-eligible.
However, the Royals did not reach contract agreements with first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino or pitcher Kris Bubic. Both will now likely head to arbitration hearings.
An arbitration hearing enables the Royals and a player — including his agent and attorney — to have a panel of neutral arbitrators determine the value of the player’s contract for the coming season (in this case, 2026).
Pasquantino put up career numbers with the Royals this past season. He hit .264 with 32 home runs and 113 RBIs. He was an American League Silver Slugger finalist and ranked sixth in RBIs across Major League Baseball.
Bubic also produced a stellar season. He was a 2025 All-Star with a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts before being shut down before season’s end with a strained rotator cuff.
The Royals can continue negotiating with both Pasquantino and Bubic. No arbitration hearing has been set — historically, they take place in February — for either player. It’s still possible that the sides decide to settle.
This is the first year Pasquantino has been eligible for salary arbitration. Bubic, meanwhile, is in his final year of arbitration eligibility before reaching free agency.
The Royals last had an arbitration hearing in 2023. It involved former starting pitcher Brady Singer as the Royals won the case. Before that, the Royals headed to arbitration with former players Andrew Benintendi and Nicky Lopez in 2022.
It’s important to note that both Pasquantino and Bubic are still under club control. They will remain with the Royals for the 2026 season. The arbitration hearing will allow for both sides to receive a specific contractual figure if no settlement is reached in the upcoming weeks.
Isbel reportedly got a deal to get paid $2.7 million this season. Meanwhile, deals with Falter ($3.6 million), John Schreiber ($3.715 million), Nick Mears ($1.9 million), Massey ($1.57 million) and Lynch ($1.025 million) were reportedly agreed upon for the season.
Last season, Isbel took a step forward in center field. He hit .255 with four home runs, 33 RBIs and a .301 on-base percentage in 135 games. He also received praise as a Gold Glove finalist in center field.
The Royals also got solid campaigns from Schreiber and Lynch in the bullpen. They will return in 2026 alongside Mears — who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers. The Royals bullpen is projected to be a strength with the veteran arms available.
Falter returns as a veteran starter. And Massey will look to rebound after injuries limited him to just 77 games in 2025.
This story was originally published January 8, 2026 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Royals could head to arbitration hearings with Vinnie Pasquantino and Kris Bubic."
