Royals' best Seth Lugo trade partner becomes clearer after Ken Rosenthal intel

After seemingly finding their offensive groove in recent days with a pair of seven-run outings against the Miami Marlins over the weekend followed by a 12-4 route of the Chicago Cubs on Monday, perhaps sunny skies were starting peak through the grey clouds that have been the 2025 season for the Kansas City Royals.

However, scattered amid these small offensive triumphs have been games that have represented the over-arching struggles this lineup has had all season. They were shutout on both Saturday in Miami and then most recently on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.

The Royals' offense is struggling. This is not news to anyone. They sit 29th in MLB in runs scored, 29th in home runs, 26th in OPS and 27th in wRC+. At the forefront of their struggles has been the outfield, as they sit dead-last in the majors in runs scored, home runs, OPS and wRC+.

However, hope may not be lost for the Royals in resolving their outfield woes. With Seth Lugo seemingly being on the trade block for Kansas City ahead of the trade deadline, he could be someone the Royals use to bring in some major league outfield help.

And according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Boston Red Sox might just be the team to provide them that help.

Red Sox might be the Royals' best Seth Lugo trade partner according to Ken Rosenthal

In a recent article about what rumblings he's hearing ahead of next week's trade deadline, Rosenthal writes that the Royals could be enticed to deal their veteran star right-hander under the right circumstances.

"The Kansas City Royals...are making it clear to clubs that if they trade right-hander Seth Lugo, they will want controllable outfield help in return," Rosenthal wrote.

However, he adds that Kansas City seems to have the desire to bring him back even if it's likely he declines his player option this winter, which throws a bit of wrinkle in trade talks.

"The Royals not only would consider giving him a qualifying offer, but also believe they would be competitive in trying to re-sign him," Rosenthal wrote. "So, they are in no rush to disrupt the relationship."

If the Royals are looking for that ultimate push to really make a Lugo deal worth their while over the next week-or-so, the Red Sox and their wealth of outfielders might be the team to give them it. And according to Rosenthal, former All-Star Jarren Duran might be the name J.J. Picollo and Co. target.

"The athleticism of Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran makes him attractive to the Royals, as do his three additional years of club control," he wrote.

Duran is in the midst of a bit of down year since his 121 wRC+ season in 2023 and his breakout 130 wRC+ campaign in '24. In 453 plate appearances this year, the 28-year-old is slashing just .257/.323/.433 with nine homers, 51 RBI and a 105 wRC+.

This could play into the Royals' favor though, as they may have a chance to acquire a high potential bat like his for a bit of a cheaper price than likely anticipated when the season began.

Now, Rosenthal did temper expectations a touch, saying someone with as much talent and control as Duran would demand more than just a potential rental arm in return.

However, it can't be denied that while Garrett Crochet has been magnificent in his debut campaign in Boston, their rotation as a whole has been a middling entity. They sit 16th in MLB in starter ERA, tied for 14th in FIP, 21st in WHIP and 24th in BAA. Adding an arm like Lugo - who's currently sporting a 2.94 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and .219 BAA - would undoubtedly aid them in their push for the postseason.

Rosenthal suggests it might take the KC Royals dipping into their deepest position to make this happen .

"The Royals could sweeten the deal with prospects, and teams are targeting their young catching, in particular," he wrote.

It's no secret the Royals have a wealth of catching depth, with three of their Top 10 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, at the position in Blake Mitchell (No. 1), Carter Jensen (No. 2) and Ramon Ramirez (No. 9). While it may be hard to part with a Top 100 prospect like Mitchell or Jensen, given that Salvador Perez is getting older and spending less time behind the plate these days, the opportunity to acquire a talent like Duran could be too enticing to pass up, if that's in fact the price.

Rosenthal also notes, the pre-existing connection between Lugo and Red Sox manager Alex Cora may be a factor that could play into the Royals favor, given Cora was the general manager of Team Puerto Rico for the 2017 World Baseball Classic, who Lugo pitched for.

With the amount of buzz around his name of late, Lugo could very well be out the door before month's end. And the Red Sox may very well be the best team to trade with to ensure the Royals remain competitive even after dealing one of their rotation staples.