ESPN MLB insider Author of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and the Kansas City Royals are in agreement on an 11-year, $288.8 million contract extension, sources told ESPN, a staggering guarantee that will keep the young star in Kansas City as the Royals attempt to build a team — and a new stadium — with him at the center.
Witt, 23, who is entering his third major league season, was one of the best players in baseball last year, prompting the Royals to lavish upon him a deal that includes superstar money with flexibility as well. The contract will allow Witt to opt out after the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th years, sources said. It also includes a club option after the 11th season that would tack on three years and $89 million to the contract, giving it a 14-year, $377 million ceiling.
The deal, which begins a monumental week for Kansas City sports that will end with the Chiefs playing San Francisco in the Super Bowl, guarantees Witt more than all but 15 players in baseball history. It reflects the team’s belief in Witt, who last season hit .276/.319/.495 with 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense. His signing, a week before Royals players report to spring training, caps a busy winter in which the Royals moved aggressively in free agency, in part to help convince Witt that owner John Sherman was sincere in his desire to bring the Royals back to relevance less than a decade after they won the franchise’s second World Series.
Locking up Witt was the top priority for the Royals all offseason, and they secured a deal only two months before a ballot referendum in Jackson County, Missouri, to extend a three-eighths-of-a-cent tax that would help fund a new downtown Kansas City stadium for the Royals and renovate the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium.
A 6-foot-1, 200-pound shortstop whose father spent 16 years as a major league pitcher, Witt has entranced evaluators for years with his combination of power, speed, baseball know-how and high character. Kansas City scouted him heavily before selecting him with the No. 2 pick out of Colleyville, Texas, in the 2019 draft. Two months later, Sherman bought the Royals from longtime owner David Glass and inherited the most talented player to join the organization in decades.
In his first full season in 2021, Witt rocketed to Triple-A and was the unanimous minor league player of the year. At Witt’s big league debut on Opening Day in 2022, Kansas City luminaries — from the Royals’ lone Hall of Famer, George Brett, to the city’s mayor, Quinton Lucas, to the recently crowned NCAA champion Kansas men’s basketball team — showed up to see the Royals, and Witt in particular.
As a rookie, Witt’s performance matched the hype: 20 home runs, 30 stolen bases, best-in-baseball speed and a glove that could grow into something special. A better version of him showed up last season after Witt spent the spring with the United States’ World Baseball Classic team. He led the major leagues with 11 triples, bumped his home runs by 50% and his stolen bases even more, matured defensively, and cut his strikeout rate to 17.4%. Only Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts, Corey Seager and Ozzie Albies — the first three of whom finished first or second in MVP voting last year — had 30 or more homers with lower strikeout rates.
Never would the timing for an extension be better than this winter. Witt would have entered arbitration after the 2024 season and been just three years from free agency and the allure of teams far more moneyed than the Royals. Had a deal not been completed, the Royals could have begun entertaining the possibility of trading Witt — especially if it was clear they were unwilling to operate in the $250 million-plus space and dwarf their previous record contract, a four-year, $82 million extension for All-Star catcher Salvador Perez.
Sherman was. And, in doing so, he hopes not only to send the Royals on a proper trajectory after a dismal 56-106 finish in 2023 but convince fans to vote yes on putting $1 billion toward a stadium estimated to cost $2 billion and serve as the nerve center for a downtown entertainment district. The Royals’ current home, Kauffman Stadium, was built in 1973 and renovated in 2009.
Discussions have been going on between the Royals and Bobby Witt Sr., who serves as his son’s agent with Octagon, for months. Witt’s guarantee of $288 million is the second largest for a pre-arbitration player behind Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 14-year, $340 million contract and exceeds Tatis’ deal — which was previously regarded as in its own class — in annual value by around $2 million.
The opt-outs, which come after the 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 seasons, afford Witt the opportunity to reach free agency or renegotiate the deal, but he intends to remain with the Royals long past the first seven years, which will pay him $148 million. The deal also includes a no-trade clause and a signing bonus of $7,777,777 — perfect for the player whose No. 7 jersey is ubiquitous around Kansas City.
The commitment is an investment in trust by both sides. Big-money, long-term contracts for players as young as Witt are regarded by low-revenue teams such as Kansas City as necessary to keep players of his caliber. At the same time, they come with enough risk that teams are loath to hand them out. Only six previous players with two or fewer years in the major leagues had been given nine-figure deals. All have been All-Stars: Fernando Tatis Jr. (14 years, $340 million), Julio Rodriguez (12 years, $209 million), Wander Franco (11 years, $182 million), Mike Trout (six years, $144.5 million), Corbin Carroll (eight years, $111 million) and Acuña (eight years, $100 million).
Witt, meanwhile, is entrusting his best years to an organization that has struggled to surround him with good players in his first two years, during which the Royals went 121-203. The free agent signings of right-handers Seth Lugo (three years, $45 million) and Michael Wacha (two years, $32 million) have helped stabilize a rotation that saw a potential breakout in the second half from left-hander Cole Ragans, whom Kansas City acquired for reliever Aroldis Chapman in June. The return of first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who missed most of 2023 after undergoing shoulder surgery, should provide Witt with better lineup protection.
Multiple teams’ internal projection systems regard Witt as one of the 10 best players in baseball and see MVP-type seasons in his future. During his first season, Witt showed flashes of greatness, and when fans stumped to ensure he’d remain with the Royals, he said that he didn’t want to look too far ahead but that “I want to be here for a long time.”
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR went before a federal judge Wednesday and asked for the antitrust suit filed against the stock car series to be dismissed. Should it proceed, NASCAR asked that the two teams suing be ordered to post a bond to cover fees they would not be legally owed if they lose the case.
NASCAR also asked U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina to dismiss chairman Jim France as a defendant in the suit filed by 23XI Racing, a team co-owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, and Front Row Motorsports, which is owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins.
Bell promised a fast ruling but indicated he was unlikely to dismiss the suit when he closed the 90-minute hearing. The calendar he set when he received the case last month calls for a December trial.
“This case is going to be tried this year, and deserves to be tried this year,” Bell said.
Bell replaced Judge Frank Whitney, who heard the first round of arguments in early November. The teams went before Whitney and asked to be recognized as chartered teams this year as the suit progresses, but Whitney denied the motion.
The teams appealed and the case was transferred to Bell, who overruled Whitney and granted an injunction that allow 23XI and Front Row to compete with charter recognition throughout the 2025 season. That led NASCAR to request the teams post a bond to cover all the payouts they will receive as chartered teams as collateral should the teams lose the case.
NASCAR and the teams that compete in the top Cup Series operate with a franchise system that was implemented in 2016 in which 36 cars have “charters” that guarantee them a spot in the field at every race and financial incentives. There are four “open” spots earmarked for the field each week.
The teams banded together in negotiations on an improved charter system in a contentious battle with NASCAR for nearly two years. NASCAR in September finally had enough and presented the teams with a take-it-or-leave-it offer that had to be signed same day — just 48 hours before the start of the playoffs.
23XI and Front Row were the only two teams out of 15 who refused to sign the new charter agreement. They then teamed together to sue NASCAR and France, arguing as the only stock car entity in the United States, NASCAR has a monopoly and the teams are not getting their fair share of the pie.
Both organizations maintained they would still compete as open cars, but convinced Bell last month to give them chartered status by arguing they would suffer irreparable harm as open cars. Among the claims was that 23XI driver Tyler Reddick, last year’s regular season champion, would contractually become an immediate free agent if the team did not have him in a guaranteed chartered car.
Bell peppered both sides with questions regarding payout structures, what harm NASCAR would suffer if the teams were open cars and other issues.
“Why give a charter to anyone?” he at one point asked NASCAR.
Replied NASCAR attorney Christopher Yates, of Latham & Watkins: “NASCAR would be perfectly fine going back to that (pre-charter) model.”
Bell admitted he doesn’t normally hear motions to dismiss but did Wednesday because “we’ve got to get this case moving.” He later said he felt the hearing was beneficial as he was able to “size up” the attorneys and they could do the same with him.
Bell also warned both sides to work together to avoid disputes and promised the losing side will pay the fees for the discovery portion of the case.
With all indications that Bell is not going to dismiss the suit, it appears the only suspense will be if he orders the teams to post bond before the season begins next month. NASCAR argued Wednesday that it needs that money earmarked because it would be redistributed to the chartered teams if 23XI and Front Row lose.
Jeffery Kessler, considered the top antitrust lawyer in the country, argued that NASCAR has made no such promise to redistribute the funds to other teams. Kessler said NASCAR told teams it was up to NASCAR’s discretion how it would use the money and didn’t rule out spending some on its own legal fees.
Jordan and Jenkins attended the first hearing but were not present Wednesday. Only 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin was present, along with his fiancee and mother. France and vice chairman Mike Helton were in the gallery with NASCAR’s in-house legal counsel and members of the communications team.
Former Wisconsin/Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has committed to SMU, agent Shawn O’Dare of Rosenhaus Sports announced Wednesday.
The fifth-year quarterback entered the transfer portal after appearing in three games this fall during his debut season with the Badgers before sustaining a season-ending injury against Alabama on Sept. 14.
Van Dyke, a three-year starter at Miami from 2021 to 2023, has 7,891 career passing yards and 55 career touchdown passes and has one year of eligibility remaining. He was ranked by ESPN as the 25th best quarterback in the transfer portal.
With 33 career games played, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound passer was one of the most experienced quarterbacks available in the 2024 portal cycle.
Benched in his final season at Miami in 2023, Van Dyke arrived at Wisconsin last offseason and was named the Badgers’ starting quarterback on Aug. 14 after a camp competition with sophomore Braden Locke. Van Dyke completed 43 of 68 passes for 422 yards and a touchdown in three starts to open the 2024 season, but he was sidelined for the rest of the season after sustaining a knee injury on the opening drive of Wisconsin’s 42-10 loss to Alabama in Week 3.
The 2025 season will mark Van Dyke’s sixth in college football. He first burst onto the scene at Miami in 2021, taking over for injured D’Eriq King and throwing for 2,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions on his way to ACC Rookie of the Year honors.
But Van Dyke’s next two seasons with the Hurricanes were marred by injury and turnover struggles, headlined by a 2023 campaign in which Van Dyke threw a career-high 12 interceptions and was benched in favor of backup Emory Williams before regaining the starting role after Williams sustained a season-ending injury.
College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.
DANIA BEACH, Fla. — While discussing the opportunity that awaits Penn State in the College Football Playoff, coach James Franklin said Wednesday that the showdown against Notre Dame is about “representing our schools and our conferences.”
Franklin then caught himself, realizing Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was sitting just to his right.
“Or our conference, excuse me,” Franklin said.
Penn State will be representing the Big Ten against FBS independent Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Nittany Lions reached the Big Ten championship game before earning a No. 6 seed in the first 12-team CFP, while the Fighting Irish made the playoff as an at-large and earned the No. 7 seed despite playing in one fewer game.
Franklin said he thinks a larger CFP ultimately requires more uniformity around college football, including every team to be part of a conference and playing the same number of league games. Notre Dame, one of three remaining FBS independents, sees its status as central to the school’s identity and has resisted chances to join the Big Ten and other conferences over the years. The Fighting Irish compete in the ACC for most of their other major sports, and they have a scheduling agreement with the ACC in football.
“It should be consistent across college football,” Franklin said. “This is no knock at [Freeman] or Notre Dame, but I think everybody should be in a conference. I think everybody should play a conference championship game, or nobody should play a conference champion championship game. I think everybody should play the same number of conference games.”
Penn State reached the CFP by playing nine conference games as well as the Big Ten championship game against No. 1 Oregon, which defeated the Nittany Lions 45-37 on Dec. 7. The Big 12 also has maintained a nine-game league slate, while the SEC and ACC have stayed at eight conference games.
Franklin, who coached at Vanderbilt before Penn State, praised the SEC for remaining at eight league games, which the league’s coaches wanted. The SEC has repeatedly considered going to nine league games during Franklin’s time in the Big Ten.
“I was not a math major at East Stroudsburg, but just the numbers are going to make things more challenging if you’re playing one more conference game,” he said.
Franklin also highlighted other areas of the sport that could be made more uniform, including starting the season a week earlier to ease the strain of playing more games with an expanded playoff. He reiterated his desire to appoint a college football commissioner unaffiliated with a school or a conference, and once again mentioned longtime coach and current ESPN analyst Nick Saban as an option, along with former Washington and Boise State coach Chris Petersen, now a Fox college football analyst, and Dave Clawson, who recently stepped down as Wake Forest’s coach.
“We need somebody that is looking at it from a big-picture perspective,” Franklin said.
Freeman acknowledged that Notre Dame prides itself on its independence. He said the team uses the weekend of conference championships, when they’re guaranteed not to be playing, as another open week for recovery and other priorities.
Notre Dame ended the regular season Nov. 30 and did not play again until Dec. 20, when it hosted Indiana in a first-round CFP game. In helping craft the format for the 12-team CFP, former Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick agreed that if the Irish were selected, they would not be eligible to earn a bye into the quarterfinals.
Freeman noted that he doesn’t have a strong opinion on whether college football needs more uniformity.
“I’m a guy that just [thinks], ‘Tell us what we’re doing and let’s go, and you move forward,'” Freeman said. “I love where we’re at right now. [Athletic director] Pete Bevacqua and our Notre Dame administration will continue to make decisions that are best for our program.”
Franklin said his desire for greater consistency stems from the CFP selection process and the difficulty of committee members to sort through teams with vastly different paths and profiles, and determine strength of schedule and other factors.
“How do you put those people that are in that room to make a really important decision that impacts the landscape of college football, and they can’t compare apples to apples or oranges to oranges?” Franklin said. “I think that makes it very, very difficult.”