Matthew Lugo was too good for Royals to pass up (but he doesn't solve most glaring issue)

The Royals' most notable roster decision on Tuesday was arguably their bullpen move that sent Eli Morgan down to Triple-A Omaha to make way for the selection of Beck Way. However, they snuck in a waiver wire acquisition as well, announcing that they'd claimed outfielder Matthew Lugo from the Los Angeles Angels and optioned him to Triple-A.

On paper, there's plenty of reason as to why someone like Lugo made sense for a team with available 40-man roster spots like the Royals to claim. However, he does nothing to solve the Royals' biggest issue from a position player perspective. This of course is their infield depth.

Michael Massey and Nick Loftin still form a second base partnership that's largely been responsible for producing a 71 wRC+ on the season. Vinnie Pasquantino is heating up recently, but still holds a 74 wRC+ on the season at first base. While still an elite defender at third, the now injured Maikel Garcia has looked more average than anything at the plate this season with a 97 wRC+. And utility bench option, Tyler Tolbert is not just a run-first option, he's really a run-only option.

In the minors, Peyton Wilson and his 106 wRC+ and Brett Squires and his 157 wRC+ are their best options for a call-up, but while promising in Omaha, neither has that prior major league track record to help the Royals feel more comfortable with them in the lineup.

While there's plenty of veterans to tick that box to some degree in Josh Rojas, Kevin Newman, Connor Kaiser and Abraham Toro, none of them have been above-average hitters this season with Toro's 90 wRC+ being the best of the bunch.

Lugo adds valuable depth to Royals organization - even if it's not in the infield

Regardless of infield needs, the Royals shouldn't regret the claiming of Lugo. While his lone year in the majors in 2025 with the Angels wasn't great - he posted a 89 wRC+ in 31 games - it certainly wasn't terrible either and representative of a half-decent bench option. Paired with his appearances for Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic this past winter, Lugo certainly has had a taste of the bright lights.

And from a recent minor league perspective, Lugo has looked solid in the upper minors to start the year. Across 47 games with Triple-A Salt Lake and Double-A Rocket City, Lugo held a .777 OPS and 117 wRC+. Not ground-breaking by any means, but certainly someone who would instill more confidence at the plate than any of their other current infield veteran options.

Lugo now gives the Royals quite the collection of outfield depth should they want to make a change there or just at the plate in general. He joins the likes of fellow 40-man roster mates Kameron Misner and John Rave, who each sport OPS totals above .860 and wRC+ clips above 115.

And while it doesn't have any real bearing on their team in 2026, Lugo's addition does also add to a nice storyline that should resonate well with the fanbase to a certain a degree. He now joins an organization in which he already has strong bloodlines to. He's the nephew of Royals great and Hall of Famer Carlos Beltrán and also a more distant relative related to 2016 Royals outfielder Rey Fuentes, Beltrán's cousin.

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