The New York Mets have officially lost Seth Lugo, who was an integral part of their bullpen last season. Lugo will sign with the San Diego Padres.
Seth Lugo appeared in 62 games for the Mets last year and 46 the season prior, registering a respectable ERA no higher than 3.60. He was a dependable force in the back-end of New York’s bullpen leading to closer Edwin Diaz.
Not all relievers can come out to the mound to Timmy Trumpet, however, and Lugo moved on to greener pastures. The career New York Met signed with the San Diego Padres, and will reportedly be used as a starting pitcher, rather than a reliever.
Lugo’s contract is an affordable one, as he’s scheduled to make $15 million over two years, and will have an opt out after 2023 should he wish to test the free-agent market for the second straight winter.
San Diego Padres sign former Mets reliever Seth Lugo
Seth Lugo was part of the New York starting rotation in the shortened 2020 season. San Diego is giving him that chance once again.
In San Diego, he will likely slide into the back-end of the Pads rotation, and could be used in the bullpen if necessary.
Lugo’s decision came down to the Padres or Dodgers, per reports. For Los Angeles this symbolizes another defeat at the hands of their NL West rival this offseason. The Dodgers appear to be saving capital for next Winter, when they can make a run at Shohei Ohtani, among others.
For the Pads, this is just one of several high-profile moves which sets them up for 2023 and beyond. A.J. Preller is all-in, and with the Padres coming mere games away from reaching the World Series this past season, there’s little reason to believe they can’t take another step forward.
Lugo can play a role in reaching that goal.