What is Seth Lugo?
The proper W may be “who” and not “what,” but Mets fans know exactly what that question asks: is Lugo a starter, a reliever, or both, as he was in 2020?
Right not, Lugo’s flexibility may be tough for him in terms of preparation, but it’s great for the Mets.
“Seth has had success both ways, so where does he provide us the most value?” team president Sandy Alderson told Carton & Roberts on WFAN Friday. “If a guy can pitch 180 innings versus 60, but he’s 75 percent effective…that’s what you have to figure out.”
If no other additions are made, the Mets’ rotation as is consists of deGrom-Carrasco-Stroman at the top, with a back end featuring some combo of David Peterson, Steven Matz, possibly Lugo and fellow swingman Robert Gsellman, and, eventually, a returning Noah Syndergaard.
It’s likely the Mets will add, though, and that’s where Lugo’s flexibility really helps the Mets.
“I think (Lugo’s role) has something to do with what opportunities we see over the next several weeks,” Alderson said. “If a starter makes sense for us, it makes it easy to leave Seth in the bullpen; if a reliever comes up we like – we don’t have a lefty in the pen right now, for instance – maybe he ends up being a starter. He actually gives us some flexibility to see what pops up.”
Not ideal for Lugo, even though you often hear the mantra that it’s easier to stretch out now and come to camp as a starter than vice versa – as evidenced by the growing pains Lugo and Gsellman experienced stretching out mid-season to join a battered Mets rotation in 2020.
Whatever may come of 2021, though, doesn’t mean that’s Lugo’s final fate, either.
“You have to go back a few years, but Seth was a very good starter for us. Back in 2016, it was Lugo and Gsellman who came up and pitched well for us down the stretch,” Alderson said. “We’ll see, but with pitchers, moving from starter to reliever is like moving a guy from third base to first, or shortstop to second base, or center field to a corner – you’d love to see them stay where they are, but eventually, you have to accept reality and move them.”
Listen to Alderson's entire segment with Carton & Roberts below!
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