The Kansas City Royals, a team that has been struggling in the MLB, are facing a dilemma as the trade deadline approaches. With a poor record and a lack of obvious trade candidates, the Royals are in a position where they must decide whether to trade two veteran starting pitchers, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, or maintain their current roster. The Royals have set a high asking price for both players, which could potentially prevent any trades from happening.
Wacha, who is 35 years old, has a solid ERA of 3.77 over 119 1/3 innings and a strikeout rate of 19.7%. His contract includes a matching club option or a $1MM buyout for the '28 season, and he is signed for $14MM next year with performance bonuses. Lugo, on the other hand, is 36 years old and has a higher ERA of 4.32 over his last 44 starts. He has a full no-trade clause in his contract, which could make it more difficult for the Royals to trade him.
The Royals' reluctance to trade Wacha and Lugo is not just about their high asking price, but also about their lack of trade value. Both players are signed for the next two years, and their contracts do not have immense surplus value. Additionally, the Royals' rotation picture for 2027 is already worrisome, with several players, including Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, and Noah Cameron, facing injuries or free agency issues.
The Royals' decision to maintain a high asking price for Wacha and Lugo is likely driven by their desire to retain controllable pitching. However, this could also mean that they will need to spend similar money on comparable or worse veteran arms in a weak free agent class, which could lead to a quiet trade deadline overall. The Royals have seven impending free agents, including Bubic, Carlos Estévez, Jonathan India, Matt Strahm, Lane Thomas, Starling Marte, and John Schreiber, but many of them are injured or have limited trade value.
