Royals reportedly 'hesitant' to deal biggest trade chip amid deadline uncertainty

With the Kansas City Royals still trying to figure out whether they'll be buyers, sellers, or stand pat, one thing is becoming clearer. J.J. Picollo and the rest of the front office are reportedly quite hesitant to deal starting pitcher Seth Lugo, who happens to be their best trade chip, just a week ahead of the July 31 deadline.

Rumors have come fast and furiously over the last week, especially that Lugo could be pitching for someone else come August 1. However, a new report by Royals beat writer Anne Rogers claims that even if Kansas City turns into sellers, they might hang onto the star pitcher.

Report says Kansas City Royals are reluctant to move their top starter, complicating deadline plans

"Right now, the Royals are hesitant to trade Lugo," Rogers wrote earlier this week. "Who is comfortable in Kansas City and is a major part of its rotation and clubhouse."

She went on to say that part of the hesitancy, beyond being a good clubhouse guy, is that Kansas City believes he'd be open to returning in 2026. "They feel confident about potentially resigning him this offseason, similar to what they did with Michael Wacha at the end of 2024."

The argument is always out there that the Royals could trade Lugo and still bring him back in 2026 as a free agent, though things hardly ever work out that way. As Rogers pointed out, if the team has any dreams of turning into genuine contenders, dealing him hurts those chances.

"Losing Lugo makes it that much harder for the Royals to envision a playoff run in ‘25, too," Rogers wrote. "Their depth is thin as it is, even with Michael Lorenzen (left oblique strain) eyeing an early August return and Cole Ragans (left rotator cuff strain) eyeing a late August return."

For now, the Kansas City Royals are in limbo. They're not far enough out of the Wild Card to say they can't get it, but they're not close enough to say they should be buyers for sure. That makes the decision on Seth Lugo that much harder. This one will almost certainly come down to the wire.