The Kansas City Royals got the win on Sunday, which is what matters most. But they have to be concerned by what they’ve seen from Seth Lugo.
Lugo was one of the premier starting pitching names involved in trade rumors ahead of the July 31 deadline, and the 35-year-old surprised many by agreeing to a two-year, $46 million extension on July 27, rather than waiting to test free agency.
But based on the six starts he’s made since that extension, one has to wonder if the Royals are already starting to feel a bit of buyer’s remorse.
On Sunday, Lugo gave up six earned runs, including two home runs, in an eventual 10-8 Royals win over the Detroit Tigers. It wasn’t the first time he’s given up at least six runs since his extension, and it also wasn’t the second.
Lugo had a 2.95 ERA on the season through 19 starts when he inked the new deal. In eight starts since, he’s got an 8.07 ERA, with 35 hits, 10 home runs, and 18 walks surrendered across just 29 innings pitched.
The veteran tried to keep the focus on the victory on Saturday, showing his gratitude to his teammates for picking him up after a tough outing.
“It’s a tight clubhouse, a tight-knit group here,” Lugo said Sunday, per Dawn Klemish of MLB.com. “We’re all pulling for each other, and we’re all working together, and I think that’s what shows in the box score.”
On the whole, Lugo has still been a very successful Royal to this point, pitching to a 3.41 ERA and making his first All-Star team in Kansas City. But by late July, there were signs — like his 4.30 FIP that has since risen to 5.10 — that suggested an extension might be in jeopardy of aging poorly.
It’s still too early to say that keeping Lugo around through 2027 will come back to hurt these Royals. But they’re not paying him for past performance, because they had their chance to cut bait with him and get a nice prospect haul back at the deadline.
If Lugo can right the ship in time to help key an unlikely playoff push now, great. But it’s crucial that he sorts these struggles out by the beginning of next season at the very latest.
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