Padres Should Trade for Royals Pitcher Ahead of Deadline

The San Diego Padres' season has started to come undone, with the team dropping nine of its past 10 games.

The Padres have gone from being one of the top teams in the National League to a squad sitting with a below .500 record. San Diego is now 15 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, while being 4.5 games behind the final wild-card spot.

But with the MLB trade deadline coming up in a few weeks, the Padres could elect to bring in some reinforcements. San Diego needs both offense and pitching help if they want to turn the season around.

One name that has been circling in trade rumors as of late is veteran right-hander Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals. Since he's not the best starting pitcher available and under contract with a high price tag, the Padres would be able to get him without giving up much, making him a great trade target for San Diego.

Why Seth Lugo Make Sense For Padres

The Padres are very familiar with Lugo, as he spent the 2023 season with the team. The veteran has been in Kansas City since 2024, putting together a few solid years with them. He even made the All-Star team in 2024.

Lugo has been linked to a return to San Diego, and doing so could help stabilize the rotation. In 17 starts for the Royals this season, Lugo has posted an ERA of 4.20.

Lugo could offer the Padres more depth for the rotation, even with his numbers being slightly elevated. The big knock against Lugo is his contract, with the Padres potentially preferring to not take on heavy salary.

The right-hander is scheduled to earn $21.5 million next year, before having a $17 million conditional club option for 2028, which includes a $3 million buyout. Due to this, the Padres would not have to give up much in a trade to shore up the rotation.

With the new ownership group in place, the Padres should be open to adding more payroll. Since they have so many holes on the roster, they may need to find trades that allow them to add talent without giving up a haul of prospects.

Lugo would fit that bill, while helping the team amid their rash of injuries.

List of Injured Padres Pitchers

The Padres have seen some unfortunate luck when it comes to injuries this season, with both Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta out with elbow injuries.

Musgrove has been out for the entire season following a setback suffered during the spring in his Tommy John surgery recovery. Pivetta left his fourth start of the season early due to a flexor strain, and he's been battling to return ever since.

Both pitchers are expected to return following the All-Star break, with Pivetta being a few weeks ahead of Musgrove in the recovery process.

San Diego also placed Lucas Giolito on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation. Matt Waldron also remains out with a right brachialis muscle injury, while Germán Márquez recently returned and joined the bullpen.

In the bullpen the team is without right-handers Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada and David Morgan.

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