Cardinals linked to Royals $30 million All-Star pitcher

With a large portion of the baseball world rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals to sell, the team continues to win. Despite the front office and the rest of baseball looking to acquire the Cardinals' veterans, the players have been playing at a high level.

As the Cardinals continue to win, a scenario where they become buyers at the MLB trade deadline comes into fruition. One such scenario involves the Cardinals adding a starting pitcher and bolstering a rotation that has had its ups and downs this season.

Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated linked the Cardinals to Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo. The veteran righty has been in the league for a while, but has come into his own in the past two years.

Lugo was an All-Star for the first time in 2024 in the first year of a two-year, $30 million deal he signed after a strong 2023 with the San Diego Padres. Lugo, now in Kansas City, has been dominant.

In 2024, he was an All-Star and was runner-up to Tarik Skubal in the AL Cy Young race. He also earned a Gold Glove and was an overall incredible pitcher. He went 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA in 206.2 innings of work with 181 strikeouts.

So far in 2025, Lugo has been even more impressive. In 83 innings of work, he's struck out 68 batters and walked 23, while going 4-5 with a 2.93 ERA. Despite having a losing record, he's been a very good pitcher.

That poor record is what makes Lugo available, as the Royals are struggling mightily offensively, and the Cardinals could move some of their position player depth to add a high-profile starter in Lugo.

It may cost a decent amount, but the Cardinals are bringing in the 35-year-old as they look to contend could be an interesting move. Being linked to him isn't a surprise, as he's one of the more readily available pitchers if the Royals decide to sell.