The MLB trade deadline is just over two months away, and every Chicago Cubs fan should be able to agree that the biggest item of need remains pitching help, especially in the starting rotation.
After being decimated by injuries in the month of May, there is no reason to believe Jed Hoyer WON’T be making calls on available starters once the Aug. 3 deadline gets closer.
One name that is intriguing to keep an eye on is Kansas City Royals‘ starter Seth Lugo, who continues to be one of the most durable and effective starters (Under the radar) in MLB. Lugo inked a two-year, $46 million extension with the Royals about a year ago, but it’s fair to assume his trade status may be up in the air again.
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Should Cubs Make Call on Royals’ Seth Lugo
Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesSeth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals could be a pitcher the Chicago Cubs will target at the trade deadline. His trade status remains up in the air, but the Cubs desperately need some pitching help.
Seth Lugo is the exact type of starter that the Cubs would benefit from having in their rotation.
While the Royals have made no indication that they want to move on from Seth Lugo, he was one of the top trade candidates in MLB a season ago, and the Royals are certainly heading towards being sellers.
The Chicago Cubs should make a call on Seth Lugo and see if Kansas City would budge on a trade package that includes some combination of Matt Shaw, Pedro Ramirez, or Kevin Alcantara.
The World Series window for the Cubs is now, so they will continue being linked to starters like Seth Lugo.
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Seth Lugo as a Starting Pitcher
The Cubs’ current rotation includes: Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, Ben Brown, and Jameson Taillon.
That’s a pretty weak starting staff.
Seth Lugo was named to the MLB All-Star team in 2024 after perhaps his best season as a professional.
Fast forward to 2026, Lugo has made 12 starts, and holds a 3.55 ERA over 71 innings with 60 strikeouts, and a FIP of 3.13.
Regardless if the Cubs actually go after Seth Lugo or not, Chicago has continuously been linked to all the top pitchers that are thought to be trade candidates, and that will not change until the MLB trade deadline passes.
There are a lot of big fish out there, like Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta, but Lugo is a name that could fly under the radar and might not cost as much as the other two aforementioned names.
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