Cole Ragans secures 13.25 million dollar extension with Kansas City Royals
Left-hander Cole Ragans and the Kansas City Royals have agreed on a three-year, $13.25 million contract extension, according to sources from ESPN on Friday. This deal guarantees the ace's salary for the upcoming seasons leading up to a year before he reaches free agency.
The contract, covering the 2025 to 2027 seasons, will award Ragans $1.25 million this season, $4 million next year, and $8 million in 2026. Ragans is expected to hit free agency after the 2028 season.
Ragans has emerged as one of the most feared pitchers in baseball, especially after recovering from back-to-back Tommy John surgeries, an injury that can often end careers. After not throwing a professional pitch for nearly three years, he started his major league career with Texas, making nine starts and 17 relief appearances before being traded to Kansas City for Aroldis Chapman.
While Chapman helped the Rangers win the World Series, Ragans quickly transformed into a frontline starter in Kansas City. His fastball can reach triple digits, complemented by a wide array of off-speed pitches. He made his first All-Star team last year, achieving a 3.14 ERA with 223 strikeouts and 67 walks over 186⅓ innings.
Ragans, along with Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha—who re-signed as a free agent—formed a solid foundation for the Royals’ surprising playoff run. In addition to retaining Wacha, the Royals also signed closer Carlos Estevez and traded right-hander Brady Singer for second baseman Jonathan India to support Bobby Witt Jr., the MVP runner-up.
The Royals are giving Ragans nearly a half-million dollars over the major league minimum this year while also buying out the first two years of arbitration with competitive salaries. For instance, Logan Gilbert, a first-time arbitration-eligible player with similar performance, earned $4.05 million last season.
Avoiding arbitration helps Kansas City avert the risk of Ragans winning a Cy Young Award and potentially using that accolade to negotiate a salary comparable to the $6.5 million settlement received by Corbin Burnes.
