SAN DIEGO — The Padres appear to have found some of that much-needed pitching depth they’ve been searching for.
Right-hander Seth Lugo is in agreement on a two-year contract with San Diego, sources told MLB.com on Monday. The team has not yet confirmed the signing, which is pending a physical. The deal is worth $15 million over two years, with a player opt-out after the first season.
The 33-year-old Lugo posted a 3.48 ERA across seven big league seasons with the Mets. He’s spent the past two years pitching exclusively out of the bullpen, but sources familiar with the Padres’ decision-making noted that Lugo would be given a chance to start for San Diego.
At the very least, Lugo could fill a similar role to the one Nick Martinez filled in 2022. Martinez started games early in the year, then became an extremely serviceable swingman, pitching high-leverage innings whenever they arose. Lugo started 38 games during his tenure with the Mets, but none since ’20.
What are the Padres getting?
There’s obvious upside with Lugo, who has posted a sub-3.00 ERA on three occasions and owns a 3.56 ERA over the past two years. In fact, his only down year in the past five came during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. Otherwise, he’s been a reliable presence on the Mets’ pitching staff just about every season.
Lugo has a knack for missing bats, having posted a 29.3 percent K rate over the past four seasons. Most notably, he throws a high-spin curveball that induces whiffs at a 30.8 percent clip. Lugo pairs that with a four-seamer, a sinker and a slider.
That said, it’s uncertain how Lugo’s stuff would play were he to transition back into a starter role. He throws his curveball at a 34 percent clip, which works nicely in the ‘pen. Perhaps his slider usage would tick back up were he to make a full-time return to the rotation.
Lugo’s career numbers as a reliever (2.91 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 3.98 K/BB) are notably better than his numbers as a starter (4.35 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 3.28 K/BB). But the Padres have a much greater need in their rotation, having lost Sean Manaea and Mike Clevinger to free agency this offseason.
As things stand, San Diego boasts one of the best front ends for its rotation in baseball, with Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Blake Snell. Beyond those three, there are question marks.
The back end of the Padres’ bullpen remains formidable, with Robert Suarez and Josh Hader locking down the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. But the middle innings aren’t quite so secure. If Lugo was needed in relief, he specialized in covering multiple frames for New York.
The Padres’ search for pitching isn’t done. They’d like to add at least one more starter, given the question marks at the back end of the rotation. It’s possible San Diego will add to its bullpen as well.
Still, with the addition of Lugo, the Padres can start to feel a bit more comfortable about their depth — whether he ends up starting or pitching in relief.
Realistically, the Padres’ biggest needs now appear to be on offense — where they’d like to add at least one corner bat and preferably two to a lineup that is fearsome but a bit top-heavy.
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