MLB Exec Feels 2024 Cy Young Runner-Up Lugo is Natural Target for Yankees, Mets Trade

If the Kansas City Royals want to go into sell mode prior to the trade deadline, one MLB executive suggested two potential landing spots for Seth Lugo.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, one talent evaluator suggested either the New York Yankees or New York Mets as a "natural target" for the 2024 AL Cy Young runner-up.

The evaluator's rationale is both clubs have "resources to burn and a potential willingness to overpay."

Kansas City is part of a jumbled mess in the AL wild card race that makes its position leading up to the July 31 trade deadline hard to figure out. The Royals will open the second half on Friday with a 47-50 record, but they won eight of 12 entering the All-Star break and are only 4.5 games out of a playoff spot.

Lugo's value would be interesting if the Royals did shop him around. The right-hander is having another outstanding season with a 2.67 ERA in 101.0 innings, but he can become a free agent in the offseason by declining his $15 million player option.

Given how well Lugo has pitched, it would seem like an obvious decision to use his option and hit the open market. However, he will turn 36 on Nov. 17 and it could be hard for him to land a lucrative multiyear deal at that age.

The Mets could be appealing for Lugo because he spent the first seven years of his career in Queens, posting a 3.48 ERA in 275 appearances from 2016 to '22. They also need someone who can eat innings. David Peterson and Clay Holmes are their only pitchers who have thrown more than 80 innings thus far.

Holmes, a converted reliever, has already thrown 103.1 innings. His career-high coming into this season was 73.0 in 2021.

The Yankees have been hit hard with injuries to their rotation already this season. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Luis Gil is working his way back from a strained lat to provide a boost down the stretch. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year made his first rehab start on Sunday with the Yankees' Double-A club.

Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Will Warren have carried a heavy load for the Yankees' rotation thus far. They have accounted for 337 of the 516.2 innings from their starters.

Both the Mets and Yankees figure to do something notable prior to the deadline given how intense the competition is in their respective division races. The Mets are one game back in the loss column of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East race.

The Yankees are part of a four-team race in the AL East. They trail the Toronto Blue Jays by two games, but the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are both within 5.5 games of the division lead.

Lugo could be a game-changer for either team if he were to get traded, but that will likely be determined by how things go for the Royals over the next 10 days or so as they evaluate their position leading up to deadline.