USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Padres are finalizing a deal with right-hander Seth Lugo, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported that it is expected to be a two-year deal, worth $15 million with a player option after the 2023 season. Lugo wanted the chance to be a starting pitcher again, something he should be able to do with the Padres.
Lugo, now 33-years-old, was drafted by the New York Mets in the 34th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He pitched at the Major League level for the last seven seasons, making his debut for the Mets in 2016. Lugo operated mostly as a starter for the first two seasons of his career. That changed in 2018 when 49 of his 54 appearances came out of the bullpen. He would make seven starts in the shortened 2020 season, but the Mets felt he would be most effective as a reliever.
The former Met had a solid 2022 campaign, pitching to a 3.60 ERA in 65 innings out of the bullpen. Lugo pitched in many high-leverage spots, earning a setup role alongside Adam Ottavino. The Mets have lost quite a bit of their bullpen from a year ago in free agency, with Lugo joining Trevor May, Trevor Williams and Joely Rodríguez as the key departures.
Ottavino is still unsigned after a dominant year with the team, pitching to a 2.06 ERA in 65 2/3 innings. The team can certainly look to bring him back if the two sides can come to an agreement over the coming months. David Robertson, Brooks Raley and Elieser Hernández are among the newcomers to the Mets bullpen. The Mets would still love to add an arm or two in free agency.
