Conventional baseball wisdom, at least as that term is used in many circles, strongly suggests the Kansas City Royals shouldn't hesitate to trade Seth Lugo before the July 31 major league trade deadline. Although he's one of the best starters the club has, and won 16 games last season, he'll more than likely decline his player option for 2026 and try his luck on this winter's free agent market. Keeping Lugo for the rest of this uncertain campaign could leave the Royals empty-handed if he leaves.
And that makes trading Lugo something the Royals have no choice but to consider, and consider seriously.