Julio Lugo Rumors Swirling; Mets, Diamondbacks, Redding, Byrnes Involved

For a guy who only has a .695 OPS over the past two seasons, Julio Lugo still looks like a wanted commodity -- at least now that the Red Sox had to designate him for assignment. There are at least two teams rumored to be connected with Lugo at the moment.

The strongest rumor seems to have Lugo landing in New York, with the Mets. He'd fill in at shortstop until the injured Jose Reyes returns to the lineup. The rumors are circling because the Mets reportedly are looking to cut ties with Tim Redding.

Redding has quickly fallen out of favor with the Mets, as he's compiled an awful 7.22 ERA in 12 outings. He already lost his job in the starting rotation after a 1-3 record and 6.99 ERA in 9 tries. Lugo has, according to the New York Daily News, been working out at the Mets' complex in the Dominican Republic. The maneuver could happen as early as Saturday.

Another report, this one coming from Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic, has the Diamondbacks and Red Sox talking swap. Since the Red Sox designated Lugo for assignment, they have 10 days to trade him before losing the rights to him, and they are still in that window. In this case, the Diamondbacks would ship Eric Byrnes to Boston for Lugo.

Byrnes was solid enough for Arizona in 2006 and 2007 to make an ill-fated trade -- giving Carlos Quentin to the White Sox for Chris Carter. Since then, Byrnes has been dreadful while Quentin has become a star. In 114 games the past season and a half, Byrnes has hit .213 with a horrifying .266 on-base percentage. At 33, he's not getting any younger. Perhaps a change of scenery would help, but a Lugo-for-Byrnes deal doesn't really look much more than exchanging bad contracts.

The most likely landing spot for Lugo at this point remains with the Mets, but it's not completed yet.

UPDATE: A major league source has told FanHouse that Arizona has yet to inquiry directly about Lugo.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-18-2009 @ 3:49PM

bigoramos61 said...

dont make any trades mets fire omar and you can save the season

7-18-2009 @ 3:56PM

omar can take manuel with him. hire acta and a gm with balls to pull real trades

7-18-2009 @ 5:57PM

urbancowboyge said...

good riddance to Lugo - the guy has no stick, no glove, and no heart

7-18-2009 @ 5:58PM

sbigrosie1 said...

FIRE MINAYA!!!!

7-18-2009 @ 6:00PM

FIRE MINAYA!!!

7-18-2009 @ 6:04PM

THIS TEAM WAS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH WHEN HEALTHY OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. TIME TO FIRE OMAR AND JERRY. START FRESH AND HIRE BACK BOBBY VALENTINE AT SEASONS END OR AT LEAST A MORE FIERY MANAGER WITH MORE EMOTION WHO WILL KICK WRIGHT AND REYES IN THE BUTT TO GET THEM MOTIVATED. MINAYA JUST GOES AFTER GARBAGE QUALITY PLAYERS AND DOESNT KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING. THIS IS OMARS TEAM TIME TO ADMIT HE FAILED AND GET RIDE OF THIS GUY. IT ALL STARTS AT THE TOP AND THIS TEAM IS PATHETIC THANKS TO HIS POOR LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING. PLUS THE FARM SYSTEM IS DEPLETED THANKS TO A POORLY RUN FRANCHISE. DON'T LIKE FRED WILPON EITHER ANOTHER MORON!

7-18-2009 @ 6:07PM

METS PLAY WITH NO HEART, OR EMOTION. THEY CAN'T PLAY FUNDAMENTAL BASEBALL EITHER. TEAM IS ONLY 500 WITH REYES AND BELTRAN, TIME TO MAKE SERIOUS CHANGES AND GET RIDE OF OMAR MINAYA TO START. HE WILL ONLY GO AFTER GUYS WHO ARE LATIN AND DOESNT CARE WHAT ELSE THERE IS. I BEEN A METS FAN FOR LIFE BUT I NEVER BEEN THIS EMBARRASED AND ASHAMED TO WEAR MY JERSEY.

7-18-2009 @ 6:16PM

WOULD ONLY CONSIDER KEEPING WRIGHT, BELTRAN AND SANTANA FOR NEXT YEAR. BETTER FIRE OMAR AND JERRY, OR AT LEAST OMAR BECAUSE IT STARTS THE TOP. THIS GUY SIGNED A OLIVER PEREZ TO A 30 MILLION DOLLAR DEAL INSTEAD OF GOING AFTER LOWE OR ANOTHER GOOD STARTING PITCHER. THE GUY IS A BAD GENERAL MANAGER. MAKES OLD STEVE PHILLIPS LOOK PRETTY GOOD ACTUALLY. IF THEY KEEP THESE LOSERS I WILL NOT WATCH ANOTHER GAME NEXT YEAR. BETTER MAKE TRADES AND FIRE OMAR! THIS TEAM BITES WITH OR WITHOUT REYES AND BELTRAN. DELGADO IS HAS POWER BUT IS GETTING UP IN AGE AND WITH THE HIP INJURY MAY NOT BE THE SAME AGAIN. OR AT LEAST MAYBE JUST 1 YEAR LEFT. REYES IS ALSO EXPENDABLE TO ME. THE GUY HAD ALOT OF PROMISE BUT DOESNT SHOW ANY HEART, INTENSITY OR CARE FOR THE TEAM. NOW HE IS HURT AND HIS AVERAGE/STOLEN BASE NUMBERS HAVE DIMINISHED OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS. TIME TO MOVE ON!!

7-18-2009 @ 6:19PM

YES THE METS HAVE ALOT OF INJURIES WHICH HURT, BUT THIS TEAM WAS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH AND ISNT GOOD ENOUGH HEALTHY OR NOT TO GO TO THE PLAYOFFS OR WORLD SERIES. DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT INJURIES ALL TEAMS HAVE THEM AND THIS TEAM IS THIN WITH NO BACKUP PLAYERS, NO FARM SYSTEM AND NO BENCH THANKS TO METS MANAGEMENT.

7-18-2009 @ 6:21PM

JULIO LUGO?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? IS THIS THE BEST YOU CAN DO??? ANOTHER TRIPLE A QUALITY BACKUP PIECE OF CRAP.

7-18-2009 @ 6:25PM

HEY FRED WILPON WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE BUDDY, THIS TEAM STINKS HEALTHY OR NOT AND WHY ON EARTH DID YOU SIGN MINAYA TO AN EXTENSION LAST YEAR??? WOW WAS THAT STUPID! THAT IS SOME REAL PATHETIC MANAGEMENT INDEED. FIRE HIM THIS YEAR OR YOU WILL LOSE YOUR NY MET FAN BASE. DON'T THINK WITH THE RECESSION I WOULD SPEND MONEY ON TICKETS AT CITIFIELD WITH THIS TEAM. HECK NO!!