Former Mets reliever joins Cubs on minor-league contract
Jorge Lopez has found a new Major League Baseball home following an uneventful stay with the New York Mets in 2024.
Will Sammon and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic disclosed on X that Lopez had signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs.
The Mets let Jorge Lopez depart in the midst of a strong 2024 performance.
The Mets originally signed Lopez in December 2023. This year, he participated in 28 games for them, finishing eight of them. During that time, the 2022 All-Star went 1-2 with two saves and a 3.76 ERA.
Despite his performance, the Mets released him when he expressed his emotions in a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 29. The 31-year-old was upset after a check swing ruling went against him. He got into it with the umpire who made the call, tossed his glove into the seats, and stormed off the field. Lopez also expressed displeasure after the game, exacerbating the stain he left on his name with the franchise.
Lopez will enhance the Cubs’ bullpen before of this summer’s clash with the Mets.
Lopez will now join a Cubs bullpen that ranks in the middle of the pack. The Chicago Cubs’ relief corps has 16 saves this season, ranking 17th in the MLB. The Cubs are 33-35, second in the NL Central, and a half-game behind the San Francisco Giants (34-35) for the league’s sixth and final wild card spot. They’ll welcome Lopez and his 95.1 mph fastball into their bullpen. On June 21, the Puerto Rican talent will face his former team, the Mets.
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