Royals 'Hesitant' To Part Ways With Biggest Trade Chip, Per Insider

With only six days to go before the Major League Baseball trade deadline, there's one key question the Kansas City Royals are facing.

Is Seth Lugo staying or going?

Lugo, the 35-year-old righty, has had his second-straight excellent season in a Royals uniform, pitching to a 2.95 ERA through 19 starts. The Cy Young runner-up in the American League last year, Lugo would be a hugely coveted piece if the Royals are willing to trade him.

At 50-53, the Royals are right on the cusp of playoff contention, sitting 4 1/2 games out of the Wild Card race. Fangraphs gives them a 10.6 percent chance of making the playoffs. And whether they make it or not, there's a strong chance they could lose Lugo for nothing at the end of the season if he declines his $15 million player option.

On Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported that with the deadline approaching, the Royals are currently "hesitant" to pull the trigger on a potential Lugo trade.

"Right now, the Royals are hesitant to trade Lugo, who is comfortable in Kansas City and is a major part of its rotation and clubhouse. They feel confident about potentially resigning him this offseason, similar to what they did with Michael Wacha at the end of 2024," wrote Rogers.

"Losing Lugo makes it that much harder for the Royals to envision a playoff run in ‘25, too. Their depth is thin as it is, even with Michael Lorenzen (left oblique strain) eyeing an early August return and Cole Ragans (left rotator cuff strain) eyeing a late August return. But if Lugo can get the Royals another core bat? They should and will listen."

That "core bat" could come in the form of a young outfielder from the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, or any other contender seeking starting pitching help. It's tough to say how much pedigree the young player in question would need to have to make the Royals part ways with Lugo.

But if they keep Lugo, they'll suddenly be under a lot more pressure. Teams like the Royals sustain themselves on asset management, and losing Lugo for nothing without a playoff appearance to show is not a good look.

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