The Royals are heading toward a trade deadline that could force a real choice: play for the future, or keep leaning on veterans who have already done plenty of heavy lifting in Kansas City.
That tension is especially sharp with Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo. Wacha, 35, just made his first All-Star team in more than a decade and has been one of the American League’s steadiest workhorse starters.
He doesn’t overwhelm hitters with velocity or rack up strikeouts in bunches, but his command and changeup keep him effective and keep the Royals in games. Lugo, meanwhile, was extended through 2027 after Kansas City had a chance to move him last year, and the club has spent the time since hoping for a return to his 2024 form.
The Athletic’s trade deadline predictions for all 30 teams put both names in the mix. Zack Meisel projected Lane Thomas back to the Cleveland Guardians, while Jesús Cano linked Wacha to the Atlanta Braves as they look for controllable starting pitching. But the most aggressive Royals call came from former Kansas City Star writer Andy McCullough, who said the club should move both veterans.
“When Kansas City had a chance to move Lugo at last year’s deadline, the team opted to extend him through 2027. But the past two seasons have been a bust for the franchise, and they need to restock the farm system.
Lugo is 36 and Wacha just turned 35. The team should be aggressive in trying to deal them.”
That’s the heart of the argument. Kansas City has already seen what happens when it bets on Lugo staying close to his best.
After the extension, he struggled badly in his first seven starts, posting an 8.35 ERA, with only one quality start and nearly as many walks as strikeouts. He had been at 2.95 ERA over his previous 19 starts, which only makes the drop-off more jarring.
And yet Lugo’s profile still has enough to make this a difficult call. He has 13 quality starts in 22 outings, one of the deepest pitch mixes in the game, and solid command across his arsenal. The problem is everything around that: he has been one of the worst qualified pitchers in the league at keeping the ball in the park, he’s allowing a 44.5% hard-hit rate, and he has posted negative win probability added in both 2025 and 2026.
Wacha brings a different version of the same debate. Over the past three seasons, he has been the model of consistency in Kansas City, putting together back-to-back 3.0-plus fWAR seasons for the first time in his career as a Royal.
But there are warning signs there too. His 3.60 ERA in 2026 sits well below a 4.27 xERA, and while he does a good job avoiding walks and stranding runners, he isn’t generating many whiffs or chases.
He survives by limiting barrels, even if he still gives up plenty of contact.
If the Royals decide to move both pitchers, they would be choosing to avoid the possibility of further decline from two aging arms. But that kind of move would not come cheap in another sense. Neither Wacha nor Lugo is likely to bring back a premium prospect haul unless Kansas City absorbs some salary, and a weak return would only add more frustration.
Still, the larger question is whether the Royals believe they can find pitching help again before 2027. If they do, then there’s no reason to play it safe. McCullough’s version of the deadline is the bold one: be aggressive, and try to fix a roster that is already stalled in 2026.
In Other News...
Salvador Perez Just Sent A Powerful Message About His Royals Future
Salvador Perez has spent so long as one of the faces of the Royals that any conversation about him naturally carries extra weight, and this one is no different. With Kansas Citys longtime catcher still handling a regular role behind the plate and producing enough power to matter in the lineup, his name has surfaced in the kind of trade chatter that tends to follow veteran catchers this time of year.
Perez, though, has made his preference clear in the simplest way possible by signaling where he wants to stay. Even with other clubs around the league, including some obvious contenders, said to be looking for catching help, the Royals are left navigating a situation that feels bigger than a normal deadline rumor because it involves a player whose future in Kansas City has always meant more than just one season at a time. [Read more 🡒]
Royals May Have Just Lost Their Best Bullpen Trade Chip
The Royals have been open about using the bullpen as a trade-deadline lever as they retool with an eye toward 2027, and Alex Lange had looked like the kind of one-year closer who could bring back something useful. He entered the season as the clubs primary ninth-inning option, showed enough improvement earlier in the year to create some intrigue, and fit the profile of a reliever contenders often ask about when the deadline gets close.
Alex Langes recent stretch has complicated that picture, though, and it leaves Kansas City sorting through a bullpen market that may not be as straightforward as it once seemed. John Schreiber, Matt Strahm and Daniel Lynch IV remain names to watch if the Royals decide to move relief help, with Lynchs breakout season giving the front office another possible path if it wants to maximize value before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Suddenly Have An Uncomfortable Trade Deadline Rumor To Watch
Lane Thomas has settled in enough with Kansas City to become a name worth monitoring as the trade deadline approaches, and that alone makes this a tricky subplot for the Royals. He has given the lineup some real pop this season, with a .230 average and 10 home runs, while also showing the kind of versatility that tends to draw attention when contenders start looking for help.
The wrinkle is where the rumor is pointing. Thomas spent time with Cleveland before landing in Kansas City, and ESPN's Buster Olney floated the idea that the Guardians could explore a deal for him, which would make for an awkward bit of midseason business for the Royals to navigate. For a club trying to sort out its own deadline priorities, the possibility of a familiar face coming back into the picture only adds another layer to watch. [Read more 🡒]