3 players the Blue Jays wish they signed last offseason, 1 they are glad they didn't

3 players the Jays wished they had signed

Seth Lugo, San Diego Padres

With the Jays looking for starting pitching depth help throughout the 2023 season, one solid option was actually available during the 2022-23 offseason that they passed up on without even taking a single sniff at. That target was Seth Lugo, who ended up signing an economical two-year contract with the San Diego Padres worth just $15 million with an opt-out after the first year.

Lugo has been an underrated pitcher that flown under the radar for many years, but has quietly put together a solid MLB career without many taking notice. Since his debut with the New York Mets over seven years ago, Lugo has been as reliable and consistent as one could be, putting together a career record of 35-28, with a 3.47 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and averaging more than a strikeout per inning. More intriguing, Lugo has had success both as a starter and in a relief role, showing his multi-use versatility.

For 2023, once again he has put together a strong season as in 12 starts, he is 3-4 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, giving up 24 earned runs, 13 walks and 59 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched. He would have been the ideal pitching depth for the Jays and could have easily filled in for Alek Manoah during the time he was optioned to the minors. In addition, with his experience also as a reliever, he could have taken on that role in the Jays’ bullpen as well during the times when the rotation was deemed set. He definitely follows in the footsteps in the rare breed of effective swingman like Ross Stripling in the past for the Jays, except the main difference being that Lugo has been effective in this type of role over many years and certainly would have been worth the Jays’ investment in him.