Coming off a 106-loss season, the Kansas City Royals bolstered their pitching staff Tuesday, bringing in right-handed starter Seth Lugo on a three-year, $45 million deal and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton on a one-year, $3.5 contract, per MLB.com.
Per the report, Lugo will earn $15 million each of the next two seasons with a $15 million player option for 2026. He can opt out after 2025. Stratton’s deal reportedly includes a $4.5 million player option for 2025. Neither deal has been announced by the team.
Lugo, 34, who declined his player option with the San Diego Padres, will slot in near the top of the Royals’ rotation. In 2023 as a full-time starter, Lugo went 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 146 1/3 innings over 26 starts.
Originally a 34th-round pick of the New York Mets in the 2011 draft, Lugo is 40-31 in 301 games (64 starts) with 16 saves, a 3.50 ERA and 648 strikeouts in 641 innings for the Mets (2016-22) and Padres.
Stratton, 33, was a member of the World Series champion Texas Rangers after being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals. With Texas, Stratton posted a 3.41 ERA with 22 strikeouts and eight walks in 29 innings in the regular season.
The 20th overall pick by the San Francisco Giants in the 2012 draft, Stratton is 37-24 with a 4.43 ERA over 302 games (43 starts) with the Giants (2016-18), Los Angeles Angels (2019), Pittsburgh Pirates (2019-22), Cardinals (2022) and Rangers. In 545 innings, he has 504 strikeouts and 216 walks.
–Field Level Media