Could the Royals ship one of their top pitchers to their cross-state rivals?
The Kansas City Royals are rapidly losing ground in their pursuit of a postseason spot, currently sitting six games under .500 with a record of 40-46.
They find themselves far behind in the American League Central, trailing by 13.5 games, and they are now 4.5 games out of the Wild Card race.
Consequently, it’s possible the Royals may look to trade some players at this year’s deadline, as they have a few assets that could attract interest from other teams.
Right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo is in the final year of his contract, and Thomas Gauvain of Redbird Rants suggests that he might be a surprising target for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Royals’ rivals across the state.
“Lugo has a player option for 2026, but he is expected to opt out of the deal that would pay him just $ 15 million next year,” Gauvain notes.
“Because of his player option, teams acquiring Lugo would consider him a rental pitcher. The Royals might not be able to demand much from the Cardinals, but they could potentially secure a top-10 prospect from their organization or a couple of lower-tier prospects.”
Currently, Lugo holds a record of 5-5 with a 2.74 ERA and 2.7 WAR over 15 starts for the Royals, suggesting they could receive a decent return for him.
St. Louis has a number of promising young position players who could bolster Kansas City’s struggling offense, which has been a significant weakness this season.
It will be intriguing to see if the Royals manage to find a trade partner for Lugo.
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