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By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Chicago Cubs are going to be adding starting pitching at the trade deadline, and they are looking at a variety of options.
There will be a lot of options for the Cubs to choose from, and Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman and Chad Jennings from The Athletic see a connection between the Cubs and Kansas City Royals starter Seth Lugo.
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"Lugo had a breakout season in 2024, pitching more than 200 innings with a 3.00 ERA and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting," they wrote. "Now 35, his surface-level numbers are almost identical this year. The pitch and batted ball data suggest he's not been as good as a year ago, but Lugo has remained plenty effective. He has a player option for 2026 he's unlikely to exercise barring injury, meaning the right-hander should be considered a rental."
The last part there is the key to the Cubs pursuing Lugo. If he's considered a rental, that means Chicago won't have to send as much back to Kansas City. This could, in turn, then help the Cubs add even more at the deadline.
Lugo's advanced metrics will draw some concerns, but Jed Hoyer is going to be more concerned about his ability to help the team win games. He's giving the Royals a chance to win every time he takes the mound, and that is what the Cubs will want from him.
Chicago was listed as one of three fits for Lugo with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres also on the table. If the Royals fall even farther out of the playoff race, expect Lugo to be dealt.
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