The Yankees are exploring the trade market for starting pitching help, and Seth Lugo has emerged as a potential target according to recent reports.
Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells followed up on ESPN’s Buster Olney’s reporting that a talent evaluator sees the Yankees as a “natural target” for the Kansas City right-hander, who finished second in AL Cy Young voting last season.
It’s not hard to see why. The Yankees have been decimated by rotation injuries this year.
Both Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are done for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That’s left New York scrambling to piece together a starting staff capable of carrying them through October.
Lugo would certainly help. The 35-year-old veteran is having another strong campaign with Kansas City, posting a 2.94 ERA and 2.8 WAR through 18 starts despite a modest 6-5 record.
What makes this situation interesting is the contract component. Lugo has a player option for 2026, but he’s expected to decline it and test free agency. That makes him essentially a rental player – valuable for a playoff push but gone after the season.
Rental starters always come at a premium at the trade deadline. The Yankees would likely need to part with some quality prospects to land Lugo, especially given his recent track record and the desperate need around the league for reliable arms.
From where I’m sitting, adding Lugo would give the Yankees a legitimate four-man rotation with Max Fried, Luis Gil, and Carlos Rodon. That’s the kind of depth you need for a deep playoff run.
The Yankees have stumbled since late June, falling three games behind in the AL East and seeing their Wild Card lead shrink to just one game over Boston. They’re still in good position, but October feels a lot more realistic with another proven starter in the fold.
Whether the Yankees are willing to pay Kansas City’s asking price remains to be seen. But with Cole and Schmidt out, they don’t have many other options if they want to make another World Series run.
