Mets Rumors: Seth Lugo drawing interest from Cubs

According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Chicago Cubs are interested in Mets right-hander Seth Lugo

With the trade deadline just under a week away, it’s no secret that the Mets will be sellers as they look to quickly re-tool and rebound from a disappointing 2017 season.

In the past month or so, there has been no shortage of trade rumors regarding the Mets. Asdrubal Cabrera, Addison Reed, Lucas Duda, Jay Bruce, and even Jacob deGrom have all drawn some level of interest from teams around the league.

Well, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, there is another Mets player that is drawing some interest from buyers at the deadline.

Lugo, 27, came onto the scene down the stretch for the Mets last season and really impressed. In eight starts in 2016, Lugo compiled a 5-2 record and pitched to a 2.67 ERA as the Mets patched together a roster to reach the NL Wild Card Game.

This season has been a touch more difficult for Lugo. After representing Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, he was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL, which held him out of the Mets’ rotation until June.

Since coming back from injury, Lugo has been solid. His ERA (4.61) and WHIP (1.348) are both up from a season ago, but that is to be expected coming back from an arm injury. In eight starts, Lugo has allowed more than three earned runs only twice, and has done a good job of keeping the Mets in games.

However, according to Crasnick, the Mets are not jumping at the opportunity to ship Lugo off to another city.

From a Mets perspective, this makes sense. With all the uncertainty regarding the health of their rotation, it would be smart to keep affordable assets. However, Lugo’s partially torn UCL may be a concern for the team moving forward.

As with just about any trade rumor, it would be silly not to at least listen to what teams are offering. Even after landing Jose Quintana from the White Sox, the Cubs still have a few assets to move. If they are willing to pay a steep price to bolster their rotation with Seth Lugo, Sandy Alderson will be forced to at least consider making a move.

Next: Gsellman set to rehab in Binghamton

I think when all is said and done, Lugo will still be a Met after the trade deadline. But if the market works out in the Mets’ favor, it may not be a bad idea to sell high on Lugo.