Vinnie Pasquantino is about to step back into the lineup, and the timing could not be weirder for the Kansas City Royals. The first baseman has been sidelined with a hamate fracture in his right hand, but Royals broadcaster Joel Goldberg reported that manager Matt Quatraro said Pasquantino will play a rehab game Thursday and could be active for Friday’s series opener against the Baltimore Orioles.
Here’s the thing. The Royals are bad this year. Like, sell-everything-that-isn’t-nailed-down bad. And the trade deadline is next week.
Pasquantino is under team control through 2028, so there is no urgency to move him. Kansas City views him as a core piece alongside Bobby Witt Jr., the kind of young talent you build around. But the current market is weird. Few teams are selling, which means the ones who are — like the Royals — hold serious leverage.
A down year might not matter
Pasquantino has hit just .224/.309/.350 across 68 games this season. That is not great. But teams remember what he did last year: 32 homers and 119 RBIs. The power is real. The left-handed bat is real. And there are contenders desperate for exactly that profile.
Cleveland needs a first baseman. Philadelphia could move Bryce Harper to the outfield to make room. The Cubs are always sniffing around lefty power. If the Royals put Pasquantino on the block, those teams would pick up the phone.
Kansas City probably wants to wait until his numbers look better before dealing him. That is the safe play. But the deadline is in a week. Waiting means you lose the leverage you have right now, when buyers are panicking and supply is thin.
What makes this tricky
The Royals have a decent young core. Witt is a superstar in the making. The pitching staff has some real arms. They are not that far from competing. Trading Pasquantino would hurt the 2024 lineup and send a message that the rebuild is still in the early stages.
But here is the counterargument: first base is one of the easier positions to fill. And if someone offers a haul — two or three high-end prospects — the Royals have to think about it. Pasquantino’s value might never be higher than it is right now, with contenders feeling desperate and the deadline clock ticking.
Chances are, nothing happens. The Royals are not shopping him. But front offices around the league are watching. And if Kansas City gets an offer that makes them stop and think, that is a conversation worth having.
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