3 Mets free agents who won’t be back next season and why

2) NY Mets free agent Seth Lugo won’t be back next season

The bitterness between Seth Lugo and the Mets for moving him to the bullpen years ago and not really giving him much of a chance to start might linger only a little bit. But after he had his chance in 2020 and didn’t do well, his destiny to sign elsewhere is more about the two sides just needing to move on from each other.

Is it completely unfathomable to imagine Lugo converting back to a starter after leaving New York? Not really. Braden Looper did it. Funnier things have happened.

More likely, Lugo remains a relief pitcher in some capacity. The Mets haven’t used him in a multi-inning role this year so to add innings to his arm at this point in his career seems a little less likely.

Relief pitchers tend to change teams more frequently than any other position or role on a team. Even backup catchers tend to stick around longer. Not relievers. They live in a van down by the river one season then move it to a van down by a different river the next.

Guessing where Lugo could land is impossible because every team with the need for a right-handed reliever would be in the mix. For some reason, the Los Angeles Dodgers immediately come to mind. So do the Houston Astros. Why is it that those two teams always seem to land a veteran then get the most of him at a more advanced age?