Royals unexpectedly do the Mariners a huge favor with shocking transaction

As 29 other MLB teams have immersed themselves in trade negotiations, the Kansas City Royals seem to have slightly different priorities.

To their credit, they did make moves to acquire Adam Frazier and more recently acquired Randal Grichuk. But neither transaction will likely move the needle this year, especially since both players will be rentals (Grichuk has a $5 million mutual option for 2026) and the Royals are sitting at just an 8.8 percent chance to make the postseason for FanGraphs.

Instead, it seems like Kansas City is already gearing up for next year.

With Seth Lugo unavailable, Seattle has one fewer opposing ace to worry about in the postseason

In a surprising move, the Royals offered Seth Lugo a two-year, $46 million contract extension that places him under team control until the end of the 2027 season. The 35-year old has been one of the most valuable members of the Royals since joining in 2024, posting a 2.98 ERA over 319.2 innings. He placed second in AL Cy Young voting last season, received some MVP votes, and won a Gold Glove for his efforts.

Given his results and what had been impending free agency, he was naturally one of the most sought-after starting pitching targets at this year's deadline, with teams across the league vying for his services. However, now that he's off the board, contenders wanting to bolster their rotation will need to look elsewhere.

The Mariners are all set when it comes to starting pitching depth, but had Lugo been sent to a rival contender, it could have spelled trouble for Seattle. With the Mariners treading water in the AL Wild Card race, every win matters. If he had gone on to earn even a handful of wins for an opposing team, it could have been the difference that pushed Seattle out of the postseason picture.

Even if their regular season was largely unaffected, the Mariners could have encountered Lugo in a playoff series. He has pitched quite well in October, posting a 2.38 ERA over his 11.1 postseason innings

The most direct benefit of this new contract is that he'll remain with a non-contender, but it could also push up the value of some of the Mariners' key trade assets. Not all of Seattle's trade chips are considered to be game-changers, and most would agree that their most valuable pieces are position player prospects. However, Logan Evans and Emerson Hancock could be of interest to other teams. Since Lugo won't be a free agent until he's almost 38 years old, sellers who may have been waiting to pursue him in the offseason must now look elsewhere for rotation reinforcements.

Still, there are plenty of starting pitchers yet to find a new home for the final few months of the season. Seattle's rivals won't hesitate to upgrade their rosters where they can. With this year being the best chance at the postseason since 2022, the Mariners can't afford to wait either.