
Could Bossier’s Seth Lugo Be On The Move Again?
I am, without a doubt, a HUGE Seth Lugo fan. I've followed the Bossier Native's baseball career from Parkway to Centenary College to the Mets to Padres and now the Royals. His journey has been nothing short of inspiring, really. The Mets took him in the 34th round of the 2011 draft. And, for those not up on baseball history, basically, your odds of success at the Major League level are not high if you get picked after the 10th round.
John Smoltz was a 22nd round pick. Keith Hernandez was picked in the 42nd round. Mike Piazza was drafted in the 62nd round. So, there are some hidden gems, but they are few and far between.
Which, brings me back to Seth's journey. Despite being a late round pick, he ended up being a great pick for the Mets. Then he bet on himself and said "I want the opportunity to start". The Mets didn't think he had it in him, so he moved onto the Padres. He had a good year there, which earned him a 3 year, $45 million contract with the Royals. And he paid it off with a career year where he finished 2nd in the AL Cy Young race.
But his success puts the Royals in an odd situation which could lead to him having a new home in the 2025 season.
Could Bossier's Seth Lugo Be on the Move Again in 2025?
Like I said, in only his second season as a full-time MLB starter, Seth Lugo was on FIRE in 2024. He posted career bests in starts, innings, wins and strike outs. That career year creates a bit of a problem for the Royals. Seth's contract is for 3 years, $45 mill - which is a great deal for a guy posting the numbers Seth posted. However, here's the issue with that - there's a player option on the deal. Which means if Seth has a decent year in 2025 and can stay healthy, he has the right to get out of the contract to hit free agency to get a bigger contract.
Which, good for Seth. If you're throwing like one of the Top 5 pitchers in the American League, you should get paid like it - especially when you're getting up there in years. The flip side of that is it creates a bit of dilemma for the Royals. The Royals could keep him, hope he has another fantastic year and pray that he likes Kansas City enough to sign a new deal when he inevitably opts out at the end of the year. OR they can "sell high" get some much needed help for their outfield. Starting Pitchers are at a premium in MLB, so if you have one that you want to move, you can get a lot in return.
From all accounts, Seth likes the Royals and the Royals like Seth. But, at the end of the day, business is business. Right now, the best business decision may be to move Seth while he has maximum value.
Who Could Possibly Trade for Seth Lugo?
Again, this is all hypothetical. There's the real possibility that the Royals are willing to ride Seth and see what happens at the end of the year. Or, if he has another All-Star type first half of the season, move him at the trade deadline.
But, one of the big needs the Royals have is in the outfield. And, if they did decide to move on from Seth Lugo, they should be able to get a premium prospect or major league ready player for him.
One trade partner that's floating around online are the Cubs. According to Sports Illustrated, the Cubs may be willing to move on from top prospect Kevin Alcantara. Cubs have Pete Crow-Armstrong and some other extremely talented outfielders. They lack pitchers, so this could be a perfect fit for both sides. The Baltimore Orioles could be another potential trade partner. They have history, the O's need pitching and they have a TON of prospects and younger vets that don't really fit into their long term plans.
Again, this is all hypothetical. BUT, a lot of the experts feel that the Royals should at least kick the tires on moving Lugo. He's getting a little older, he's coming off a career year and he's more than likely going to leave at the end of the season. Barring another crazy good year, Seth Lugo's value will never be higher than it is right now.
So, in theory, you could help put long term pieces around Bobby Witt Jr. and building towards a possible Championship run by simply moving on early from a guy you're probably going to lose anyway.
Regardless of what does or doesn't happen with Seth, I'll be watching and cheering him on in the new year.
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