Dodgers infielder Julio Lugo grew up in Brooklyn rooting for the Mets. Last night, he started Game 2 of the NLDS trying to beat them. Next year, he may well be trying to win a World Series playing for them.
Growing up in Sunset Park and graduating from Fort Hamilton High School, Lugo told The Post last month that playing for the Amazin’s would be “a dream come true.” He was part of the Manny Ramirez trade talks in 2005, and the Mets were still interested this year before Lugo was dealt to Los Angeles.
And while Lugo was trying to lead his present team past his childhood one last night, the 31-year-old is a free-agent to be and could become the Mets’ biggest offensive acquisition this winter.
“I’m grateful for them to be interested, because I was raised here in New York. I was a Met fan,” said Lugo, who called Howard Johnson his favorite player.
“I was raised in Brooklyn, Sunset Park. I was crazy about the Mets. I used to love the blue hats they had. This team has a lot of history.” Lugo’s play last year at shortstop – career-highs of .295 average, 39 steals, 89 runs – was a breakthrough, a large reason the Mets were talking about him as part of the proposed Ramirez deal at that point.
He hit .308 for Tampa Bay this year, ninth in the AL with 18 steals at the time the Dodgers traded for him on July 31.
But he has been horrid in Los Angeles, hitting .219 while being shuffled from third to second and even the outfield. It’s not the way he’d want to go into a walk year.
He’s likely the top shortstop on the market, and could get four years, $40 million and interest from the Red Sox, Blue Jays, White Sox, and Reds.
But he might offer the Mets a hometown discount, and said he’d move to second. That’s noteworthy since L.A. was 11-3 when he started at second.
“I played short all through my career, but . . . if you want me to play second, I’ll think about it,” Lugo said.
“I always played short, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t do something for a good team. You know you’re going to come here and win, then you could do it.”