Lugo could be the pitcher the Mets call on most early in the season if any starters are on limited pitch counts, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
While the team doesn't intend to make any drastic changes to its current five-man rotation, GM Brodie Van Wagenen suggested Monday that the Mets could be a lot more flexible with bullpen roles. "We also have some high-velocity, high-stuff bullpen guys," he said. "We may see shorter starts from some pitchers early on in the year, and we may see bullpen arms in pitching situations earlier than maybe they otherwise have been accustomed to. We're going to use (the bullpen) with the mindset that every out counts, not just every inning." Lugo, as the one "high-velocity, high-stuff" reliever used to tossing multiple innings in an outing, seems the most likely candidate to move out of a setup role and instead take the mound in the middle innings if someone like Steven Matz or Michael Wacha exits early. Such usage would make Lugo -- who recorded seven wins, six saves and 21 holds in 60 appearances last season -- a prime candidate to vulture wins during the shortened campaign.