The Kansas City Royals continue to make moves this offseason, signing pitcher Seth Lugo to a three-year contract worth $45 million on Tuesday, per Jeff Passan. It's the biggest deal the Royals gave to a free agent since 2016, with the third year being a player option in 2026, according to Mark Feinsand.
Lugo, 34, is an eight-year MLB veteran with 301 appearances during that span. A career reliever with a handful of starts before the 2023 season, Lugo transitioned to a full-time starting pitcher last season upon joining the San Diego Padres.
Lugo made 26 starts for the Padres in 2023, posting an 8-7 record with a 3.57 ERA and 140 strikeouts, a career-high. His 17 quality starts were second on the team behind National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. He saved his best start for last coming one out shy of a complete game shutout in his final start of the year against the San Francisco Giants.
Lugo spent the first seven seasons of his career with the New York Mets, making his MLB debut in July 2016. He made 38 starts and appeared in 275 games for the Mets, finishing with a 3.48 ERA in 494.2 innings.
Royals trying to compete
The Royals have been busy through the first five weeks of MLB free agency, bringing in several veterans to bolster the roster. Lugo joins relief pitcher Will Smith and utility player Garrett Hampson, who each signed one-year deals with Kansas City via free agency.
Seth Lugo has the opportunity to slide right into the top of the Royals rotation in 2024 and given the price tag Kansas City bestowed on him, that would be the expectation. Lugo had plenty of reported suitors, with the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves rumored to be in the mix.
In the end, the veteran right-hander lands with the Royals as Kansas City tries to dig itself out of a rebuild.
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