Kansas City Royals pitcher named MLB trade deadline target for the Toronto Blue Jays

Even before the four-game sweep over the Yankees that vaulted the Blue Jays into first place in the AL East, GM Ross Atkins said the Blue Jays planned to be buyers ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.

After a compelling but ultimately one-sided series in which the Blue Jays outscored New York 36-23, their stance as buyers has only been reinforced.

Not only is a wild-card berth in play, the AL East is, too, and with that comes the potential of a first-round bye.

Under those circumstances, the question isn't whether the Blue Jays will look to add but rather who.

David Schoenfield of ESPN.com recently wrote about the one player the Blue Jays should pursue is Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo.

With the Detroit Tigers running away with the AL Central, the Kansas City Royals are a playoff team from last season that is going to have a tough time replicating that success.

While the next few weeks will paint a clearer picture of what their plans are, trading the 35-year-old could make sense.

So far this season, Lugo has pitched very well for the Royals. The veteran right-hander has totaled a 5-5 record and 2.74 ERA in 15 starts.

This is only the fourth year Lugo has been primarily a starting pitcher, with one of those campaigns coming about a decade ago with the New York Mets.

Lugo has thrived as a starter and would be a valuable asset for Toronto. He would instantly be able to come in and improve the rotation, giving them a solid option to use in October.

He does have a player option for next season at $15 million, which would likely be declined if he continues to pitch well, making this a potential rental. However, due to his age, he might elect to exercise it.

This makes his trade value a bit tricky to decipher, but regardless of what happens in the winter, he would be able to improve a rotation in 2025 that desperately could use some help.