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Royals Could Cut Ties With First-Time All-Star; Red Sox, Cubs Among Potential Fits
Jul 15, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; American League pitcher Kris Bubic (50) of the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning during the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Seth Lugo is no longer the only Kansas City Royals All-Star pitcher whose name is floating around the trade rumor mill.

Lugo will be a free agent if he opts out after the season, so he's an obvious candidate to be traded if the Royals go into seller mode. But Kris Bubic, the breakout star of the season in Kansas City, will be a free agent only one year later.

As Bubic has surged to a 2.38 ERA through his first 19 starts this year, the Royals have to be wondering if now is the time to trade him. After all, he had a 4.66 career ERA coming into the year, and teams will have less interest as free agency gets closer.

On Monday, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel assigned Bubic a 15 percent chance of being traded, so the insiders don't think it's particularly likely. Yet, they also named four pitching-needy teams who could attempt to pry Bubic loose by the Jul. 31 deadline.

"With Lugo set to hit free agency and Ragans still on the shelf, the Royals would need to be bowled over to consider moving their All-Star left-hander. At the same time, with the pitching market thin, they understand that the sort of haul Bubic could bring is at least worth engaging on," Passan and McDaniel wrote.

"With a 2.48 ERA and another year of club control, his value is sky-high, and he's a legitimate solution for teams seeking a front-of-the-rotation starter. Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Boston (Red Sox), Toronto (Blue Jays), Houston (Astros)."

All four of those teams project to have a lack of starting pitching depth from here on out, and Bubic could turn any of them into World Series contenders. The Cubs and Red Sox both have surpluses of young outfielders, so they're particularly well-suited to trade with a Royals team that currently possesses the weakest outfield in the sport.

Still, starting pitching has become so valuable that it's completely understandable if the Royals want to keep Bubic, even if they fall further out of contention.

More MLB: Royals' Seth Lugo Gets Updated Trade Probability; Dodgers, Cubs Among Best Fits


This article first appeared on Kansas City Royals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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