Ken Rosenthal dishes on the trade deadline.
The trade deadline is soon approaching, and the Royals could be taking a number of different approaches. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic features the team prominently in his latest article on trade rumors and suggests that despite their place in the standings, the Royals could look to add a long-term piece such as Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.
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. The Red Sox would not trade Duran for a pitcher who likely would amount to a rental. But the Royals could sweeten the deal with prospects, and teams are targeting their young catching, in particular.
Duran was an All-Star last year with Boston, finishing eighth in MVP voting while leading the league in doubles and triples. This year he has fallen back a bit to hit .257/.323./433 with nine home runs and 16 steals in 101 games. The 28-year-old left-handed hitter is capable of playing all three outfield positions and would not be a free agent until after the 2028 season.
Boston is in contention, currently sitting in the final Wild Card spot, so they may be reluctant to move Duran in the middle of a season despite their outfield depth. They also have to find playing time in the outfield and DH for Cedanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida, and Roman Anthony. The Royals have solid catching depth with Carter Jensen hitting well at Triple-A, Blake Mitchell returning to action last week, and Ramon Ramirez on rehab after his promising season was hit with injury.
Rosenthal also reports that the Royals are targeting controllable outfielders in any return for Seth Lugo. But he writes that a Lugo deal isn’t necessarily a given, despite where the Royals are in the standings.
Lugo, 35, is likely to turn down his $15 million player option for 2026 and become a free agent. The Royals not only would consider giving him a qualifying offer, but also believe they would be competitive in trying to re-sign him. So, they are in no rush to disrupt the relationship.
The Royals could hang onto Lugo, make him a Qualifying Offer of around $22 million, and receive a compensatory draft pick when he signs with a new club. They have some leverage here, but some of this is just posturing to extract a better offer from clubs. Lugo has a 2.94 ERA in 18 starts for the Royals after finishing second in Cy Young voting last year. The Cubs – who Lugo will face this afternoon – are reportedly interested in him. Rosenthal also notes that Boston manager Alex Cora knows Lugo from their time together on Team Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Rosenthal also downplays the possibility of a potential Royals deal for Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds, since the Pirates are seeking offense in return.