Fresh off a run to the ALDS, the Kansas City Royals aren't sitting quietly early in the offseason. They have agreed to a three-year deal with a club option for the 2028 season, the Royals announced Sunday. Wacha is guaranteed $51 million for the first three years, with the club option valued at $21 million in 2028, according to ESPN.
Wacha, 33, was 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA (126 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP and 145 strikeouts in 166 2/3 innings in his 29 starts for the Royals during the 2024 regular season. He also made two playoff starts, though those didn't go quite as well (5.19 ERA).
Still, the Royals were 56-106 in 2023 and invested heavily in righting the ship and it worked out, finishing the year 86-76. That was good enough to earn a wild-card spot. They toppled the Orioles in the first round before falling in four games to the AL champion Yankees in the ALDS.
Wacha was worth 3.5 WAR, per Baseball Reference. He helped form a very solid rotation for the Royals along with Seth Lugo -- who was also added in free agency -- Cole Ragans and Brady Singer.
Now that the Royals have brought Wacha back, he'll again team with those three in the rotation. It'll be interesting to see if Michael Lorenzen, who made six starts after being acquired via trade, is retained, if the Royals go with Alec Marsh and/or Kyle Wright or if they look elsewhere.
Wacha was drafted in the first round out of Texas A&M in 2012 and debuted the following season for the Cardinals, serving as part of their rotation in the 2013 World Series. He was with the Cardinals through 2019, but has appeared for the Mets, Rays, Red Sox, Padres and Royals since then. In 278 career appearances, he's 101-62 with a 3.89 ERA. He was named the NLCS MVP in 2013 and was an All-Star in 2015.