The Detroit Tigers have made it known this offseason that their number one priority is pitching as they are looking to replace Eduardo Rodriguez, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent. On top of that, they non-tendered Spencer Turnbull’s contract, making him a free agent. They do have arms currently in their system, but they aren’t ready for an entire 30-start season, so the Tigers will look to snag an arm. They are now interested in signing RHP Seth Lugo, who would be a nice arm to add to a rotation that already includes LHP Tarik Skubal, RHP Casey Mize, and RHP Matt Manning. They have options for that final spot in RHP Alex Faedo, Reese Olson, Sawyer Gipson-Long, and LHP Joey Wentz. So, could Lugo be a suitable fit?
Seth Lugo By The Numbers
The New York Mets drafted Lugo in the 34th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, and he made his debut on July 1, 2016, in a relief appearance going two innings, giving up two hits and striking out two. He would play for the Mets for seven seasons, making 275 appearances, with 38 of those being starts; he went 32-24 with a 3.48 ERA, a 3.63 FIP, a 1.16 WHIP, a 1.1 HR/9, a 2.5 BB/9, and a 9.2 K/9. In 2023, he signed with the San Diego Padres as a free agent and pitched the whole season as a starter, making 26 starts, going 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA, a 3.83 FIP, a 1.2 HR/9, a 2.2 BB/9, and an 8.6 K/9 in 146.1 innings of work; he also had a 3.81 RA/9, a 23.2 strikeout percentage, and a 6.0 walk percentage.
Bottom Line:
The Tigers need an arm for their rotation so is Lugo the guy you’d want to fit in and be a number four and who would you want to be number five? Olson, Gipson-Long, Wentz, or Faedo.
