Will Lugo be traded?

[Fishercat]

http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/NA...t=.jsp&c_id=tb

ST. PETERSBURG -- Which Devil Rays players are here for now, and which will be here for the future is a question that looms with the trade deadline coming at the end of July.

What happens with shortstop Julio Lugo is perhaps the biggest decision facing the team. Will they keep him by signing him to a new deal? Will they trade him? Or will they lose him to free agency?

Lugo entered Saturday night's game against the Yankees hitting .297 with nine home runs and 20 RBIs. Great numbers for a shortstop -- particularly considering he's played in just 58 of the team's 87 games. In addition, he brings a lot of intangibles to the table.

The question came up last year, and the answer was a big no, as the Devil Rays were too stingy on his asking price and no one wanted to pay. In a position or two that is often offensively crappy,

A) Will he be traded?
B) Who will trade for him if so, and what will they give?

[McKain]

Nationals will trade for him.

Royce Clayton and Cristian Guzman straight up.

[Kingdom]

Deal Lugo to the cubs for Cedeno and Marshall, then turn around and laugh at Chicago.

[Fishercat]

Well, with this demand coming out (the length more than the cash), it may be difficult to get a lot...

With Julio Lugo reportedly seeking $40 million over five years, talks on a contract extension with the Rays have stalled.
Lugo turns 31 in the offseason and probably won't stick at shortstop in his mid-30s, so a five-year deal is probably going to be out of reach. The $8 million per year, on the other hand, is pretty realistic. The Rays might be willing to pay him at that rate through 2009 anyway. Unless there are more talks over the next week, the Rays likely will shop him at the deadline.