Mets trade rumors: Cubs among several clubs interested in Seth Lugo

The Cubs are one of several teams that have shown interest in acquiring Seth Lugo from the Mets, according to reports. Apparently the Cubs see breakout potential in Lugo’s high spin rate.

It’s easy to see why the Cubs would covet a pitcher like Lugo. He’s under team control through 2022, has shown flashes of serious potential, and is extremely affordable. Then there’s the aforementioned spin rate. Lugo’s curveball spins so much that it set a Statcast record back in August of 2016 when Statcast recorded one of his curves at an absurd 3,498 rpms, the highest spin ever recorded for a curveball.

The obvious question, however, is would the Mets even be willing to trade Lugo? Sandy Alderson has thus far claimed that the Mets won’t be trading any assets who are under long-term deals, which would seem to preclude a Lugo trade. Also, as Grant Brisbee smartly pointed out on SB Nation’s main page, if any team would be interested in a decent starter with breakout potential who’s under a low-cost and long-term contract, it would be the Mets.

Lugo has been injured for much of the season, and even when he’s been healthy enough to pitch, his 4.10 ERA and 5.4 K/9 both marked major regressions from his performance last year. Still, the news that Lugo is drawing interest is worth paying attention to, as you never know when someone will offer a package too enticing to turn down.