- Deal could rise to $377m if options are taken up
- Shortstop is one of MLB’s best young players
The Kansas City Royals agreed with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr on an 11-year deal worth more than $288.7m guaranteed, according to multiple sources, locking up one of baseball’s young stars as the club tries to turn around its fortunes and persuade a weary fanbase to invest in a new stadium.
The deal includes a three-year, $89m team option that would drive the value to more than $377m and keep Witt in Kansas City through the 2037 season. The 23-year-old’s guaranteed salary makes it the 16th-largest current deal in Major League Baseball and second-biggest pre-arbitration agreement behind the 14-year, $340m contract the Padres gave Fernando Tatis Jr last April.
