Royals could regret trade deadline decisions with Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Kansas City Royals, despite being near the bottom of Major League Baseball, were not major sellers at the MLB trade deadline this summer.
They did ship out Lane Thomas to the Atlanta Braves and Kris Bubic to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But despite teams likely having interest in Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, among other players, the Royals didn't entertain offers.
Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report, two weeks after the deadline, believes the Royals could come to regret their decision not to trade Lugo or Wacha, as the pair of starters could've fetched a huge return, and their loss wouldn't have hurt the team too much either.
Royals might regret not trading Lugo or Wacha
"This current formula isn't working, and it's going to be very difficult for them to turn things around in one offseason," Kelly writes. "With that in mind, they probably should have been willing to consider offers for Michael Wacha and/or Seth Lugo before the Aug. 3 trade deadline."
Both starters are under contract through the 2028 season with club options. But the Royals are only guaranteed one more season on their deals.
If the Royals really wanted to reset the roster for a season, free up a lot of money, and try to contend again in 2028, it wouldn't be such a bad idea, especially with the 2027 MLB season a question mark amid labor talks between the MLBPA and MLB.
Trading Lugo and Wacha would've netted the Royals a massive package in return, as it was a seller's market, and controllable starters typically fetch quite the high price tag.
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Another reason why trading both starters would've made a lot of sense is that Wacha is 35 years old, and Lugo is 37. Neither is likely to be in the Royals' long-term plans.
Even in the short-term, this team just isn't good enough to contend, and even if both Lugo and Wacha are All-Star caliber, it won't matter with this lackluster roster.
The haul they could've received for both, the uncertain 2027 MLB season, their advanced age, the fact that neither is likely a long-term option, and their bleak projection for the next year or two might make this decision one the Royals come to regret.
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