Dodgers-Seth Lugo Trade? Royals Could Target These LA Prospects, Per MLB Writer
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There's one central question surrounding the Kansas City Royals for the next nine days.
Thirty-five-year-old former All-Star Seth Lugo would be quite possibly the best starting pitcher traded at the Jul. 31 deadline--if the Royals decide to cut bait. So with Kansas City sitting at 49-52, 4 1/2 games out of Wild Card position, is it worth sacrificing a realistic shot at the playoffs for a prospect haul?
Lugo has a 2.94 ERA in 18 starts, and he's still the reigning American League Cy Young runner-up. But he's also going to be treated as a rental at the deadline, because it's highly unlikely he'll exercise his $15 million player option for 2026 in lieu of free agency.
If the Royals are going to trade Lugo, it has to be a move that makes them significantly better for 2026. The easiest way to guarantee that is to land a promising young outfielder who either has a bit of major league service time, or is currently in the upper levels of the minor leagues.
In a recent article, FanSided's Austin Banks suggested that the Dodgers could be suitors for Lugo, and named outfield prospect Mike Sirota and shortstop Alex Freeland as possible, but imperfect fits for the Royals in a potential return.
"The Dodgers have a lot of hitting prospects, but none that are ready for the MLB right now, or even next year," wrote Banks.
"No. 6 prospect, OF Mike Sirota (.316/.458/.556 at High-A) interests me the most in their system, but he's only at the High-A level right now and has an ETA to join the big leagues in 2027. No 3 prospect, SS/3B Alex Freeland is more MLB-ready right now, but doesn't profile in the outfield."
Los Angeles' top two prospects, Zyhir Hope and Josue De Paula, are both outfielders. However, because Lugo is a rental, it's possible both would be completely off the table in these hypothetical negotiations.
From the Dodgers' side, the Lugo possibility makes a ton of sense. But Los Angeles might have to get creative to find the right trade, because there are probably other suitors that interest the Royals more in terms of young outfield targets.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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