Seth Lugo Isn't Perfect, but He Could be Perfect for the Cubs

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Image courtesy of Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

On the North Side of Chicago, the topic at the forefront of everyone's mind (other than the blistering heat) is exactly who Jed Hoyer will bring in to round out a Cubs starting pitching rotation in need of more than just a cosmetic shift. Zooming in on the top three candidates — Mitch Keller, Sandy Alcantara, and Seth Lugo — the individual that ends up with the squad will not just be a fresh face, but someone who clearly dictates the potential fortunes of this ball club. 

After years occupying the realm of sellers, the North Siders are firmly in the conversation to win the NL Central and more. All three of the above hurlers bring their own unique brand of positives, as well as drawbacks, but there is an answer as to who the Cubs should scoop up, and it's Seth Lugo. Our own Matt Trueblood connected the sides earlier this week, and what the 35-year-old righty stands to offer the Cubs is not only a proven winner, but much-needed familiarity. 

Like most pitchers who creep up into their mid-30's, Lugo has moved around to a number of squads where he wasn't necessarily the ace, but a guy in the top half of the rotation any skipper would expect to get outs and put the team in a position to rack up victories. Over 10 seasons in the big leagues, Lugo has a record of 60-45, 897 career punch outs, and a 3.34 ERA that's benefited greatly from his time in Kansas City. Of course, the veteran right-hander is craftier than he is dominant, and he gets by thanks to his unfathomable array of offerings.

Per Baseball Svant, Lugo possesses a whopping ten different pitches he can send across the plate. From his most frequent (the four-seam fastball), to most seldom (split-finger fastball), he can change things up like Illinois weather in mid-February. Other than giving the Cubs a decently nasty trio of starters atop the rotation — along with Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga — Lugo's pitch variety is an almost immeasurable intangible in postseason play where batters can get all too familiar with what the guy on the mound is featuring. 

And, lest you bemoan his subpar metrics under the hood, note that his obscene diversity of pitches actually has some method behind the madness. None of his three most-used pitches this year — the four-seamer, the curveball, and the sinker — are allowing a wOBA to opposing hitters greater than .300, and only his cutter (.464 wOBA allowed) is getting hit with any sort of real authority. It might seem like smoke and mirrors on the surface, but there is a genuine harmony to the variety he has in his arsenal. Given the Cubs' recent infatuation with pitchers with bizarre traits, it isn't surprising that they're interested in deploying a guy who can throw every pitch under the sun.

Championship teams, without exception, uncover a non-negotiable, evergreen staple it can roll out to either sustain momentum, or snatch it from the clutches of their opponent. Should he end up with the Chicago Cubs, that's exactly who Seth Lugo will be, 100 different pitches and all.

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