Royals' Seth Lugo Gets Updated Trade Probability; Dodgers, Cubs Among Best Fits
In this story:
This past weekend was not good news for the Kansas City Royals' odds of keeping Seth Lugo.
Lugo and Co. lost two of three games to the Miami Marlins in their first series coming out of the All-Star break. They now sit at 48-52, 5 1/2 games out of playoff position in the American League.
With only nine games until the trade deadline, all eyes will be on starting pitcher Seth Lugo, who took the loss in the Marlins series opener on Friday. If the Royals decide to sell, Lugo will probably be the biggest name to go. And he might also be the most coveted starting pitcher available.
On Monday, ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan had an ominous projection for Royals fans, listing Lugo's projected odds to be traded at 80 percent. Plus, they named five potential suitors for the former All-Star right-hander.
"Lugo has posted mid-3.00s or lower ERAs for five seasons despite having below-average fastball velocity and good-not-great strikeout rates. His ability to strand runners and limit hard contact comes in part due to his nine different pitches," wrote Passan and McDaniel.
"With a Nathan Eovaldi-type contract awaiting Lugo in free agency, Kansas City could opt to move him, especially if Cole Ragans' injured shoulder doesn't improve. Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Houston, Toronto, San Diego, Los Angeles Dodgers."
Lugo now owns a 2.98 ERA in 51 starts as a Royal, and he was the runner-up in AL Cy Young Award voting last season. His consistency will make him a massive target for the teams listed above, even though he's going to hit free agency and potentially sign elsewhere.
If there's a silver lining here, it's that the Royals could extract a serious haul from one of these teams. The Dodgers are always in win-now mode, the Cubs are desperate to win while they have Kyle Tucker on an expiring contract, and those other three suitors all look to be contenders too.
More MLB: Royals Trade Rumors: Surprising Big Names Could Leave KC At Deadline
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
Follow jrobertsbsbl