Yankees Linked to Pair of All-Star Arms

It could be back to the Big Apple for Seth Lugo. The former New York Mets right-hander is one of the hottest pitchers on the trade market ahead of the July 31 deadline.

"One evaluator believes that Kansas City Royals starter Seth Lugo (who started his career with the Mets) is a natural target for the Mets or Yankees, as they're both big-market teams with resources to burn and a potential willingness to overpay," ESPN's Buster Olney reported.

Lugo is in his 10th big-league season and his second in Kansas City. Last year, he enjoyed a breakout campaign, winning a career-high 16 games while posting a sterling 3.00 ERA and earning his first All-Star nod.

In addition, Lugo finished second to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in voting for the American League Cy Young Award and 15th in MVP voting. He also earned his first Gold Glove Award in 2024.

This year, Lugo is 6-5 with a 2.94 ERA in 18 starts. He's in the second year of a three-year, $45 million contract, but the deal includes an opt out after this season.

When it comes to relief pitchers, the market continues to evolve with a new name getting thrown into the mix: Athletics closer Mason Miller.

"The way the A’s see it, only a few teams are bold enough to propose an offer for Miller worthy of consideration," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Monday.

"Which teams might tempt the A’s? The Philadelphia Phillies, who reached agreement Sunday with free-agent reliever David Robertson, probably would be No. 1 on the list," Rosenthal added. "The Los Angeles Dodgers, with free agents Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates performing below expectations, almost certainly would be in the mix. So would the New York Yankees, who face the losses of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to free agency."

But Rosenthal notes "the A’s asking price for Miller would figure to be exorbitant." The 26-year-old is in his third big-league season. He was an All-Star last year and finished 2024 with 28 saves and a 2.49 ERA.

This year, Miller's production has dropped off a bit: 19 saves and a 4.04 ERA in 35 appearances. But he's making just $765,000 this season and has four years of arbitration eligibility remaining.

It will be interesting to see how much teams are willing to offer in exchange for a cost-controlled All-Star closer not yet in the prime of his career.

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