Seth Lugo was the American League’s Cy Young runner-up last season, and so far in 2025, the Kansas City Royals pitcher is showing improvement from last season – even if the record doesn’t show that.
With three weeks left until MLB’s trade deadline, the team sits at 46-48 and Kansas City Royals World Series odds seem remote. Could the Royals become sellers and look to flip Lugo for prospects to develop alongside Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone? We created hypothetical odds on that question:
Team | Odds | Percent Chance |
Stay with Kansas City Royals | 59.2% | -145 |
Chicago Cubs | 7.7% | +1200 |
Los Angeles Dodgers | 6.7% | +1400 |
Toronto Blue Jays | 5.0% | +1900 |
New York Mets | 5.0% | +1900 |
Atlanta Braves | 4.3% | +2250 |
Houston Astros | 4.3% | +2250 |
San Diego Padres | 4.3% | +2250 |
The Field | 3.5% | +2750 |
The Royals are 13 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central and three games back in the AL Wild Card race. When Missouri sports betting launches late this year, bettors will be able to get down wagers on the team for the 2026 MLB season.
Lugo, a 35-year-old who helped the Royals get to the postseason last year with a 16-9 record, is just 6-5 midway through this season. However, his ERA is 2.67, down from 3.00 in 2024, and he sports a 1.079 WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) compared to a 1.089 ratio last season.
BetMissouri has developed these odds on which uniform Lugo will be wearing for this season’s playoff push. These odds are for infotainment purposes only. While Missouri sportsbook apps won’t launch until December, you won’t find these odds at any licensed sports betting operator in Kansas or elsewhere around the Show-Me State.
After an awful 8-18 June, that included two separate stretches where the Royals lost eight of nine, the team rebounded to start 7-2 in July. With a wild card berth still very much in play, we believe the Royals will choose to keep Lugo, who is in the second year of his two-year, $30 million deal with Kansas City. However, that contract includes a player option for next season.
When legal sports betting is up and running in the Show Me State, the best Missouri sports betting promo codes will be available here at BetMissouri.
If the Royals should decide to part ways with Lugo, expect the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers – the respective leaders of the National League Central and West divisions – to be active in trade talks for the veteran righthander.
Why would the Dodgers need a starter? Because the team with MLB’s biggest payroll has arguably the worst starting pitching in the league. Though L.A. is 56-38, Baseball-Reference.com says the Dodgers are averaging an MLB low 4.5 innings from their starters this season.
Lugo is averaging a shade under six innings per start.
The Cubs aren’t much better. While Baseball-Reference finds the Cubs have the best wins above average as a team (10.5), their starting rotation’s figure is minus-2.7. That’s the fifth-worst in the bigs and right behind the Dodgers’ minus-2.3.
MLB betting in Missouri isn’t active yet, but in neighboring Kansas, the defending World Series champion Dodgers are favorites to repeat at Caesars with +250 odds, followed by the AL-leading Detroit Tigers at +600.
USA Today photo by Jay Biggerstaff
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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