Right-hander has agreed to a minor league deal with the Cubs, according to a report from Will Sammon and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic . The righty is expected to report to the clubs Arizona complex, per Sammon and Mooney at . Lpez, 31, was recently released by the Mets after an unusual scene. During a rough outing against the Dodgers, he argued with umpires and was ejected. While leaving the field, he to sed his glove into Angel Chivilli Jersey the crowd and untucked his shirt. Things took another strange turn after the game. The Puerto Rican-born Lpez spoke with reporters in English without an interpreter present, saying he did not regret his actions. He also said he had not spoken with manager Carlos Mendoza or president of baseball operations David Stearns about the outburst, though this was contradicted by others. There was also some confusion about something else he said to reporters, as some thought he was calling the Mets the worst -ing team in MLB, but later clarified he was actually calling himself the worst teammate in the league. After all of that, some in the baseball world tried to put a spotlight on the challenges Lpez has faced. He has a child with significant medical complications that is currently on a transplant list and waiting for a donor, while the elder Lpez also mi sed some time last year due to his mental health. Regardle s of the explanations, the Mets considered his behavior unacceptable. He was designated for a signment and released, sending him out to free agency and keeping the Mets on the hook for most of his $2MM salary. The Cubs will bring him into the organization, though he has not yet been added to that clubs roster. Lpez had a stint as one of the better relievers in the league a few years ago, but with more middling results since then. After years as a starter without a lot of succe s, the Orioles moved him to a bullpen role in 2022 and he found immediate succe s. He to sed 48 1/3 innings for the Os that year, allowing just 1.68 earned runs per nine frames. He struck out 27.6% of batters faced, gave out walks at an 8.7% pace and kept 60% of balls in play on the ground. But he was traded to the Twins at that years deadline, with the results falling off from there. From that trade to the present, he has a 5.08 ERA, 18% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate and 48% ground ball rate. That includes his 3.76 ERA with the Mets this year prior to his release, though his 17.1% strikeout rate and 44.2% ground ball rate this season are still pretty far from his peak. Though the numbers havent been amazing lately, theres sense in the Cubs bringing him aboard. Theres no harm in taking a look on a minor league deal and Lpez wouldnt really cost them anything even if added to the roster. They would only have to pay the prorated league minimum for any time Lpez is on the club, with that amount subtracted from what the Mets pay. The bullpen has been an i sue for the Cubs this year, with the relievers having a collective ERA of 4.47, which puts them 24th out of the 30 clubs in the league. Guys like , , and are all currently on the injured list. Lpez can give them a boost if hes able to make any sort of movement towards his previous form. Josh Rogers Jersey
Right-hander has agreed to a minor league deal with the Cubs, according to a report from Will Sammon and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic . The righty is expected to report to the clubs Arizona complex, per Sammon and Mooney at . Lpez, 31, was recently released by the Mets after an unusual scene. During a rough outing against the Dodgers, he argued with umpires and was ejected. While leaving the field, he to sed his glove into Angel Chivilli Jersey the crowd and untucked his shirt. Things took another strange turn after the game. The Puerto Rican-born Lpez spoke with reporters in English without an interpreter present, saying he did not regret his actions. He also said he had not spoken with manager Carlos Mendoza or president of baseball operations David Stearns about the outburst, though this was contradicted by others. There was also some confusion about something else he said to reporters, as some thought he was calling the Mets the worst -ing team in MLB, but later clarified he was actually calling himself the worst teammate in the league. After all of that, some in the baseball world tried to put a spotlight on the challenges Lpez has faced. He has a child with significant medical complications that is currently on a transplant list and waiting for a donor, while the elder Lpez also mi sed some time last year due to his mental health. Regardle s of the explanations, the Mets considered his behavior unacceptable. He was designated for a signment and released, sending him out to free agency and keeping the Mets on the hook for most of his $2MM salary. The Cubs will bring him into the organization, though he has not yet been added to that clubs roster. Lpez had a stint as one of the better relievers in the league a few years ago, but with more middling results since then. After years as a starter without a lot of succe s, the Orioles moved him to a bullpen role in 2022 and he found immediate succe s. He to sed 48 1/3 innings for the Os that year, allowing just 1.68 earned runs per nine frames. He struck out 27.6% of batters faced, gave out walks at an 8.7% pace and kept 60% of balls in play on the ground. But he was traded to the Twins at that years deadline, with the results falling off from there. From that trade to the present, he has a 5.08 ERA, 18% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate and 48% ground ball rate. That includes his 3.76 ERA with the Mets this year prior to his release, though his 17.1% strikeout rate and 44.2% ground ball rate this season are still pretty far from his peak. Though the numbers havent been amazing lately, theres sense in the Cubs bringing him aboard. Theres no harm in taking a look on a minor league deal and Lpez wouldnt really cost them anything even if added to the roster. They would only have to pay the prorated league minimum for any time Lpez is on the club, with that amount subtracted from what the Mets pay. The bullpen has been an i sue for the Cubs this year, with the relievers having a collective ERA of 4.47, which puts them 24th out of the 30 clubs in the league. Guys like , , and are all currently on the injured list. Lpez can give them a boost if hes able to make any sort of movement towards his previous form. Josh Rogers Jersey