"One of the best pitchers in the game" - Royals skipper Matt Quatraro hails $45M ace

Since signing for the Kansas City Royals in December 2023, starting pitcher Seth Lugo has been one of the most reliable arms for skipper Matt Quatraro. The 35-year-old earned his first All-Star selection, Gold Glove Award and All-MLB second team selection in his first season with the Royals in 2024.

The Royals rewarded Seth Lugo with a two-year extension last week. The deal has a club option for an extra year, guaranteeing the veteran at least $45 million.

Speaking about Lugo's bumper contract via MLB Network Radio on Sunday, Royals skipper Matt Quatraro said:

"He (Seth Lugo) has been one of the best pitchers in the game these last few years. Since he came here (Kansas City), he's done nothing but deal. Everytime he goes out there, we feel like we're going to win."

Quatraro talked about how he was "ecstatic" to see Lugo extend his stay in Kansas City for atleast another two seasons.

"I'm ecstatic [to see Lugo extend]. When you're in the dugout, and you have a guy that you're basically pencilling in for six or seven innings, keeping you in the game and giving you a good chance to win, that's a good feeling," Quatraro added

Matt Quatraro will be looking to guide the Royals to the playoffs for the second season in a row

After winning the World Series in 2015, the Royals endured an eight season playoff drought. They made it back to the postseason in 2024, and it was skipper Matt Quatraro who masterminded their journey to the ALDS, where they were eventually eliminated by pennant winners, the New York Yankees.

Looking to build on last year's solid performance, things have not really gone to plan for Quatraro and the Royals this season as they have struggled for consistency.

MLB: JUL 29 Braves at Royals - Source: Getty

With the Detroit Tigers looking like they are going to run away with the AL Central title this year, the wildcard appears to be the Royals' best chance of qualifying for October. But they have their work cut out for them in that regard. At the moment, Kansas City sits sixth in the standings, exactly at .500 with a 56-56 record.

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash