Royals Right-Hander Emerging as Potential Trade Deadline Target

The MLB season is entering the middle stages of May, which means we’ve now seen more than a month of production from players around the league. For the Kansas City Royals, the starting rotation has once again been a bright spot.

Kris Bubic has played a big role in the rotation so far, along with Michael Wacha, who has been the Royals’ most effective pitcher during the 2026 season.

Another name worth mentioning is 36-year-old Seth Lugo, who is also off to a solid start this season. If he keeps it up, he could become a hot name at the trade deadline.

Could Seth Lugo be moved at the deadline?

Lugo currently holds a 3.21 ERA through his first 47.2 innings, paired with five quality starts this season. He owns the second-best ERA in the Royals’ rotation behind Michael Wacha’s 2.63 mark.

The right-hander signed with Kansas City in December following the 2023 season. It did not take long for him to make an impact, as he put together one of the best seasons of his career on the mound in 2024.

He logged a 3.00 ERA across 206.2 innings and finished as the runner-up in AL Cy Young Award voting that season. He took a step back in 2025, posting a 4.15 ERA, but like much of the rotation that year, he dealt with injuries.

Despite the drop in production, Lugo and the Royals agreed to a two-year, $46 million contract extension in July 2025. The deal keeps the veteran starter under contract through 2027.

Lugo has bounced back to begin the 2026 season. So much so that in an article published by The Athletic, Jim Bowden named Lugo one of the top starting pitcher candidates to be traded at the deadline.

Bowden discussed what Lugo brings to the table and what makes him such an effective pitcher.

“Lugo doesn’t post the high strikeout numbers that many aces do, but he’s in the 99th percentile for Breaking Ball Value, according to Statcast, and he has a very deep arsenal of pitches that he mixes as well as anyone,” Bowden said.  

It comes as no surprise that Lugo has emerged as a top trade candidate. He is a proven veteran with a contract that expires after next season and looks to be finding the same groove he had in 2024. But depending on where the Royals stand, trading him may not make much sense.

Granted, if Kansas City is nowhere near playoff contention, then Lugo could very well and probably will be dealt at the deadline.

But if the Royals still have a fighting chance at the postseason by the trade deadline, then you keep that arm in the rotation.

The rotation has played a massive role in this team’s success. We saw it in 2024, and last season it kept the Royals from completely falling apart.

Removing a veteran leader like Lugo from that group would be a major blow if this team still has a shot at the playoffs.

Injuries are already becoming a factor

Kansas City’s starting rotation has also already dealt with multiple injuries this season. The depth the Royals acquired at last year’s trade deadline has struggled to stay healthy to begin 2026.

Stephen Kolek, Bailey Falter and Ryan Bergert have all already dealt with injuries this season, with Bergert now out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Royals ace Cole Ragans, who has a lengthy injury history and missed most of the 2025 season, is back on the injured list with a left elbow impingement.

Unless the Royals collapse in the standings and fall completely out of the postseason picture, moving Lugo does not make much sense.

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