Padres Free Agent Starter Seth Lugo Signs With Kansas City Royals

Another starter off the board for San Diego.

You can add another starter from the San Diego Padres 2023 rotation to not return next season. Right-hander Seth Lugo has agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Royals.

The #Royals are finalizing a deal with right-handed starter Seth Lugo, sources tell me and @Feinsand.

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) December 12, 2023

Lugo gets a 3-year, $45 million contract from Kansas City. He was expected to get a multi-year contract from whoever signed him, and he landed a nice payday for himself.

Lugo to the Royals. $45M, 3 years.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 12, 2023

Lugo spent the 2023 season with San Diego after they gave him a chance to become a full-time starting pitcher. He had previously been mainly a reliever with the New York Mets, but he wanted something different. 

He was solid with the Padres this past season, posting an ERA of 3.57 over 26 starts. Lugo also posted a WHIP of 1.20 and struck out 140 over 146.1 innings of work.

Lugo provided a steady hand in the rotation for the Padres this past season during a very unstable year for the team. He more than earned his new contract with the Royals, and he provides them with a veteran presence within their young rotation.

San Diego was always unlikely to retain him, and now they have another hole to fill. Nick Martinez already left for the Cincinnati Reds, while Michael Wacha and Blake Snell are also expected to leave.

With Lugo now off the market, the Padres will need to look elsewhere to build out the 2024 rotation. The team has been trying to limit spending while they shed salary, which could prove tricky the rest of the way.