Mets-Royals Blockbuster Trade Idea Sees KC Cut Ties With $45 Million All-Star
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July will be the Kansas City Royals' final opportunity to turn their season around.
Entering play on Monday, the Royals hold a 39-45 record and sit a season-high 4 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot. For all the intentions the Royals had of building on their playoff appearance in 2024, it seems as though they're in the process of taking a step back.
The last thing the Royals wanted to do this year was sell at the trade deadline. But if they fall much farther under .500, they'll have to think about moving on from some of their veterans, especially when one starting pitcher in particular would be one of the most coveted assets at the deadline.
That, of course, refers to 35-year-old Seth Lugo, who is having another phenomenal year. With a 2.74 ERA and 2.7 bWAR in 15 starts, Lugo is on pace to end the season with more Cy Young votes under his belt.
Lots of contending teams would be all over Lugo if he were available. The New York Mets, his old team, might be at the top of that list, according to Newsday columnist David Lennon.
"I'd love to take a crack at a Seth Lugo homecoming," Lennon said last week on SNY's Baseball Night in New York.
"It's interesting to see where the Royals position themselves right now, they're about four games out of the Wild Card, so I think they could be sellers on that. [Lugo] is gonna be a free agent at the end of this year, so he's a guy that could bring back something."
Because Lugo can opt out of the final season of his three-year, $45 million contract, the Royals will be under pressure to get prospects back for him if their playoff hopes are already dashed. And entering play on Monday, FanGraphs already has their playoff odds at 10.8 percent.
The Royals can afford to keep up the good fight a while longer, but the Mets (and plenty of other contenders) have great farm systems that Kansas City would be lucky to pillage.
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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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