Seth Lugo’s Strong Season Sparks Trade Buzz Across MLB

Bossier City Native Seth Lugo is the center of a lot of trade rumors in the MLB. The former All-Star and Cy Young runner up is having an excellent season with the Kansas City Royals - posting a 5-5 record with a 2.74 ERA.

However the Royals as a whole are struggling, especially on the offensive side of the ball. So, a lot of experts believe the Royals will be sellers at the trade deadline this month with Seth being one of the players traded for offensive fire power.

So, where does that leave the former Parkway Panther & Centenary Gent? We're going to breakdown some of the best fits and most likely destinations for Seth Lugo.

The Chicago Cubs Want Seth Lugo

While Seth has been at the center of a lot of trade talks, it has already been confirmed that the Cubs have been in talks with the Royals about Lugo. How those conversations have gone, who knows. But, it makes total sense. Their offense is good. Defense is phenomenal. If there's one short coming, it's the starting rotation.

Get our free mobile app

And not that they're bad, they've just been a bit inconsistent and hampered by injuries during the first half of the year. Getting a guy that's pitching like a Cy Young candidate and adding him to the rotation could stabilize their starting rotation and help them lock down the NL Central before attempting to make a deep playoff run.

Another NL Central Team Could Join The Conversation

This offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals were one of the least active teams in baseball. However, even with that inactivity and the mindset of 'letting the kids play', the Cardinals are currently over .500, in the hunt for a Wild Card playoff spot and within shouting distance of fighting for the division.

READ MORE: Seth Lugo Joining Team Puerto Rico for 2026 WBC

If there's one place they could afford to invest, it's the starting rotation. Sonny Gray has been solid. The rest of the starters have been inconsistent at best. So adding another front line starter like Seth Lugo at the deadline could take the Cardinals from borderline playoff team to serious contender.

Could Seth Return to New York?

Seth Lugo was drafted by the New York Mets, has a relationship there, and thanks to numerous injuries, there's a need there for solid starting pitching. So, that seems like a trade that could definitely boost the Mets chances of making a deep playoff run.

However, the Mets aren't the only team in New York in need of starting pitching. The Yankees lost Gerrit Cole before the start of the season. They've suffered several other injuries in the rotation which has added a ton of pressure onto the back of the rotation guys and the offense.

While Lugo is no Cole, he is a heck of a pitcher that could give the Yankees a leg up on the AL and help reduce the pressure on Aaron Judge and company to score a lot of runs to win a ball game.

Is There a Dark Horse in the Seth Lugo Race?

Given the current state of their season, it's hard to imagine, but Seth Lugo would be a great fit for the Baltimore Orioles. The O's were more than 20 games under .500 earlier this year, but after a managerial change, they've managed to cut that deficit down and crawl back into Wild Card contention.

Much like the Tigers last year, the O's have the talent offensively to make a late season run at the playoffs. But, thanks to injuries and missing out on some key free agents, they're struggling mightily in the pitching department.

A bold move like trading for Seth Lugo paired with getting healthy at the right time could shoot the O's up from the bottom of the standings. Is it likely to happen? Probably not. BUT, Mike Elias and the O's have shown that they're not afraid to make some head scratching moves - some have paid off, others have not.

This certainly would be a bold move and one we just can't pretend won't happen.