The Cubs could use a reliable starter. Here’s one.
We all got a pretty good look at what Royals right-hander Seth Lugo can do Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field when he held the Cubs to four hits and two runs in six innings of work, with six strikeouts.
This has been pretty typical work for Lugo since he signed with the Padres before the 2023 season and became a full-time starter, after seven effective years as (mostly) a reliever with the Mets.
Lugo had an excellent season in 2024, posting 5.4 bWAR, a 3.00 ERA and 1.089 WHIP. All of that got him second place in American League Cy Young voting.
He’s pretty much replicated that this year — in fact, the WHIP is almost identical at 1.088. His ERA has dropped a tick to 2.95 and his 3.1 bWAR would put him on pace for close to 5 again.
Here’s Lugo’s repertoire:
Baseball Savant
That’s quite the selection — nine different pitches! As you can see, he doesn’t throw particularly hard, but with all that selection, he can keep hitters off balance.
Lugo turns 36 in November. This is important because he has a $15 million player option for 2026. There’s no buyout here, so if the Cubs traded for him, they’d be on the hook for that, as well as the approximately $5 million left on his 2025 contract. The $5 million is easily affordable. But do the Cubs want a 36-year-old $15 million pitcher on the staff next year?
The answer could be: “Since the Cubs need a guy like this now, they might have to do that.”
Taking the $15 million for 2026 off the Royals’ hands might mean Lugo could be acquired for a small prospect cost. Or, perhaps the Royals could be offered a somewhat better prospect if they’d be willing to eat some of the 2026 money. And acquiring Lugo wouldn’t necessarily mean the Cubs shouldn’t go after another starter — of course they should.
So, would Lugo be worth it?