The New York Yankees are suddenly looking up in the standings — and not in a good way. After dominating the American League East for much of the early season, the Yankees have hit a rough patch since the end of June.
The result? They now trail in the division by three games and are barely clinging to the top Wild Card spot. Just one game separates them from the surging Boston Red Sox, and with the postseason picture tightening fast, the pressure is officially on in the Bronx.
Starting Pitching: The Yankees’ Most Urgent Need
The starting rotation is holding back the New York Yankees. With Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt both undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Yankees are without two of their top arms for the rest of the year.
That leaves a massive void in the rotation — one the front office has to fill if New York is serious about chasing a World Series this October.
Enter Seth Lugo. According to Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells, following up on a report by ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Yankees are a “natural target” for the Kansas City Royals right-hander. And it’s easy to see why.
Lugo, 35, has been lights-out this season. He’s posted a 6-5 record with a 2.94 ERA and 2.8 WAR over 18 starts for the Royals — numbers that rival most frontline starters.
He was the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2024 and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. While he does hold a player option for 2026, he’s expected to decline it and test free agency, which would make him a classic rental.
New York May Have to Pay to Play
Make no mistake: rental pitching always comes at a premium in July. If the Yankees want Lugo, it won’t be cheap. New York would almost certainly need to part with one or more of its top prospects to seal a deal. But for a team that’s still in the hunt and desperate for rotation depth, it could be worth the price.
Pairing Lugo with Max Fried, Luis Gil, and Carlos Rodón could instantly elevate the Yankees’ starting staff back to elite status — the kind needed to make a legitimate World Series run. And after the recent skid, they might not have a choice.
