The Kansas City Royals aren’t far out of playoff contention, but with a congested race in the American League, some teams will have to make tough decisions very soon. According to a report from Buster Olney of ESPN, the Royals have shown a willingness to trade, with the primary focus being on upgrading their offense for next season.
This could involve the Royals trading starting pitcher Seth Lugo. Lugo is not under contract next season and was the runner-up to Tarik Skubal for the Cy Young last season. The Royals’ righty has put up similar numbers this season and looks to be one of the more valuable starting pitcher rentals on the market.
The one stipulation that Olney reported was that the Royals were unwilling to part with the core of their pitching staff. Presumably, starters Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, and Kris Bubic are not going anywhere this year, as all three are under team control beyond this season.
Lugo holds a player option this offseason that one rival staff member told Olney “you’d assume he’s going to turn down.” Lugo has pushed his value well over the $15 million salary that he would have if he picked up the option, so the Royals are likely to sell him as a rental option rather than a controllable pitcher.
It is not a confirmation that Lugo will be traded this year as the Royals sit just 4 1/2 games out of a playoff spot entering Tuesday. But one bad week could have the Royals flipping assets at the trade deadline for offensive additions, focusing on making the playoffs next season.
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