Royals 4.11 ERA left-handed All-Star ‘more likely’ to be traded than other pitchers originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Kansas City Royals are likely to be one of the top sellers this season by the 2026 MLB trade deadline on August 3. The only question might be how far they go.
While pitchers like Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, both under club control through 2027, will draw attention, a trade will be a lot more difficult to execute.
Instead, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic named 4.11 ERA left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic as the pitcher the Royals are “more likely” to trade away this season than either Lugo or Wacha.
Royals more likely to trade Kris Bubic than Lugo, Wacha
“Left-hander Kris Bubic, a potential free agent, would be more likely to go, along with others on expiring contracts…” Rosenthal writes.
It’s clear this Royals team isn’t good enough this season, but that doesn’t mean they have to blow it up and start a rebuild right now. They can sell some pieces, retool, and compete in 2027.
Bubic, the left-handed All-Star who is only under control through the end of the 026 season, is someone worth trading away.
He’s only 28 years old and is an All-Star who has a 4.11 ERA this season. While he’s on the injured list right now, he should be able to return in time for the MLB trade deadline.
MORE: Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency
There might be more appealing one-year rentals than Bubic, like Tarik Skubal of the rival Detroit Tigers or Freddy Peralta of the New York Mets.
But Bubic might be a more affordable pitcher for a club like the Milwaukee Brewers to acquire than someone as good as Skubal or Peralta.
Rosenthal believes Bubic is more likely to be traded by the Royals than Lugo and Wacha, and it might be more than simply that the Royals don’t want to trade the two right-handers under control through 2027.
With Bubic, a true rental pitcher and a decent one at that, Kansas City’s front office might be able to find a suitor a lot more easily than they could for either right-hander.
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