Former Mets Pitcher Gaining Interest From AL Team in Free Agency

An American League team is seemingly interested in signing a former New York Mets pitcher in free agency this offseason.

The New York Mets have an interesting offseason in front of them. Under the ownership of Steve Cohen, they have been major players in the free agency market, however, there is a thought they could be quiet during this cycle.

At the end of their disappointing 2023 season, the Mets infused youth onto their roster by calling up some of their top rated prospects.

This allowed them to get early evaluations on which of these players could become impact players as early as next year, while also getting them Major League reps for the first time.

Pitching seems to be an area of need heading into 2024. There is potential for a reunion with their former reliever Seth Lugo, however, he has garnered major interest from the Detroit Tigers according to MLB Trade Rumors, who are looking to add arms of their own.

There could be a potential snag between the 34-year-old and the Tigers, with them reportedly looking to sign him to a short-term contract and Lugo wanting three years, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.

After being in a relief role for the majority of his career with New York, he became a starter during his lone season with the San Diego Padres in 2023. He finished 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA across his 26 starts.

Lugo had a player-option in his contract for 2024 but opted-out so he could try and cash in on another deal.

If Detroit doesn't sign the righty in free agency, the Mets could potentially look to reunite with their former draft pick and use him as a back-end rotation guy for 2024.