Left-hander Cole Ragans and Royals agree to $13.25 million, 3-year contract

SUPRISE, Ariz. (AP) - All-Star left-hander Cole Ragans and the Kansas City Royals agreed Friday to a $13.25 million, three-year contract.

Ragans gets a $250,000 signing bonus and salaries of $1 million this year, $4.5 million in 2026 and $7.5 million in 2027. His 2027 salary would escalate to $8 million if he wins a Cy Young Award in either 2025 or 2026.

Ragans, 27, remains eligible for salary arbitration after the 2027 season and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series.

"He earned this contract through his hard work, perseverance and professionalism," Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said in a statement. "He's been an outstanding performer for us at a young age and his success is motivating to us moving forward."

Ragans was 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA in 32 starts last year with 223 strikeouts and 67 walks in 186 1/3 innings. He led AL qualified pitchers with an average of 10.77 strikeouts per nine innings and finished fourth in Cy Young voting.

He is 18-17 with a 3.46 ERA is 53 starts and 17 relief appearances over four seasons, including 16-11 with a 3.00 ERA in 44 starts since Kansas City acquired him from Texas on June 30, 2023, for reliever Aroldis Chapman, who helped the Rangers win their first World Series title that fall,