When did fans decide the Kansas City Royals should be sellers at the trade deadline? Despite a season-high number of wins this month, the writing is on the wall that the AL Central club is not playing past game 162 this season and should be absolute sellers at the trade deadline. A team does not become the second to 50 losses in the season and then squint and think it can make a run at it. Nuh uh.
This is not unfamiliar territory for Royals fans, but it is unwanted territory in 2026. This team on paper looked ready to bounce back from 2025, but that has not materialized in the win-loss column. All the injuries do not help matters either, forcing Kansas City to get creative in piecing together a 26-man roster night in and night out.
The rotation’s injuries have been the hardest to deal with, but Bleacher Report’s latest trade speculation has Kansas City trading away not one, not two, but three starters to different winning ballclubs. Let’s run through each trade and the thinking behind it.
The link between the Athletics and Kris Bubic are still there despite injury
“The A’s are contending in the AL West despite their pitching, which bears an AL-high 5.00 ERA. And yet, it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll be shopping on the top shelf for help.Hence Bubic, who stands to be a buy-low option because of A) a recent elbow injury and B) an expiring contract that only pays $6.15 million. A straight-up swap sending 10th-ranked prospect Tommy White to the Royals could be workable.”
Zachary Rymer, Bleacher Report
This is a solid idea, one where there is already a bit of smoke swirling. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported earlier in June that the AL West team was interested in Kansas City’s southpaw, and that was after Bubic last pitched on May 14. Bubic landed on the IL with left elbow soreness, while some shoulder soreness extended his stay following a poor rehab outing. But Bubic returned to the mound June 24, retiring the side and striking out one for Triple-A Omaha.
The Royals cannot afford to be picky here. Bubic still is not back up to a starter’s workload, and any acquiring team would only be getting the former All-Star for a few months. Tommy White in return seems entirely fair, especially after Vinnie Pasquantino’s injury calls into question his value beyond 2026. White, primarily a first baseman, could at least provide an MLB-ready option for Kansas City.
Could the San Diego Padres reunite with Michael Wacha?
“The Padres needed a starter even before they put Lucas Giolito on the injured list on Tuesday, and Wacha is a guy they know well. He had a 3.22 ERA as a Padre back in 2023.A trade between Kansas City and San Diego might need to have a bad-contract-swap element, perhaps involving Jake Cronenworth. That way, the Royals could effectively buy a prospect to go with him, with No. 1 prospect Ethan Salas representing the best possible outcome. “
Zachary Rymer, Bleacher Report
If Royals fans think Kansas City’s farm system is bad, go check out the San Diego Padres. That team is always aggressive at the trade deadline, evident by how Kansas City scored Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek from them for Freddy Fermin last year. The Padres being in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers hurts their outlook, but they are firmly in the Wild Card picture and will remain there barring an epic collapse. Acquiring old friend Michael Wacha would go a long way in preventing such a collapse.
While Wacha’s 2025 performance has been stellar, his contract is a notable part of his trade outlook. If the Royals do want a better prospect return, they will likely need to send more with Wacha or take on the aforementioned bad contract. San Diego has a few to choose from, and the remainder of Jake Cronenworth’s seven-year extension worth $80 million might be a bit too rich for Kansas City. But the team and pitcher pairing make plenty of sense.
An all-AL Central trade with White Sox for Seth Lugo would certainly turn heads
“It’s a nice season the White Sox are having, but their starting rotation is threatening to undo it. It ranks dead-last in innings for the season, and it has a 6.71 ERA in June. A horse like Lugo is therefore a perfect target on paper.Lugo is signed through 2027 with a club option for 2028, which is ideal for a White Sox club that is still early in its contention cycle. Even if it means upgrading an AL Central rival’s farm, he’s worth a lesser bat like Colby Shelton (No. 9) or Javier Mogollon (No. 10).”
Zachary Rymer, Bleacher Report
Seeing Seth Lugo in a Chicago White Sox uniform would be painful, but so have some of his outings this year. Things have not been rosy for the veteran since Kansas City extended him last season, but he is still a reliable arm, with a team-leading 16 starts for Kansas City in 2026.
He is at a career-low for strikeouts this season but finally limiting the home runs that doomed him in 2025. Lugo is a death-by-a-thousand-cuts sort of pitcher, who is under contract through 2027 with an option for 2028.
Sending Lugo to Chicago would also reunite him with former pitching coach Zach Bove, who looks to have Kansas City’s number in this month’s series between Chicago and Kansas City. Lugo would bring a veteran presence to a young club somewhat ahead of their expected competitive window. With the White Sox still vying for the AL Central title, they should not be passive at the upcoming trade deadline.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source kingsofkauffman.com ’
