The Battle with Mets and Chicago Cubs on their league deal to sign the San Francisco Giants veteran reliever
Jorge Lopez has found a new MLB home after an uneventful conclusion to his tenure with the New York Mets in 2024
Will Sammon and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic revealed on X that Lopez has signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs
The Mets originally signed Lopez in Dec. of 2023. He played in 28 games for them this year, eight of which he finished. In that span, the 2022 All-Star went 1-2 with two saves behind a 3.76 ERA.
Despite his play, the Mets let him go after he let his emotions out in their 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 29. The 31-year-old was incensed over a check swing call that didn’t go his way. He got into it with the umpire who made the call and then threw his glove into the stands before storming off the field. Lopez also voiced unpleasantries after the game which exacerbated the stain he put to his name with the franchise.
Lopez will strengthen Cubs bullpen in leadup to showdown vs Mets this summer
Lopez will now join a Cubs team that has a middle-of-the-pack bullpen. Chicago’s relief unit owns 16 saves on the year, which is No. 17 in the MLB. The Cubs are 33-35, second in the NL Central and a half-game back from the San Francisco Giants (34-35) for the sixth and final Wild Card spot in the league. They’ll welcome Lopez and his 95.1 mph fastball to their bullpen. The Puerto Rican talent will square off against his former team the Mets on June 21.
Shota Imanaga of the Chicago Cubs stood on the pitcher’s mound during a recent bullpen session. Even in that setting he did not look like an emerging star. He does not throw 100 mph (160 kph). He does not tower over opponents.
No one expected Imanaga to be this good, this fast. Not even the Cubs, who believed in him more than most. The organization began compiling an Imanaga scouting database in 2018. But when the Japanese pitcher became available last winter, the Cubs did not jump out early and seize the negotiations. Even Imanaga understood his transition would be challenging.
Yet, he has become one of MLB’s most valuable players so far this season. Thirteen starts into a four-year, $53 million contract, he has a 1.89 ERA. On Saturday, he allowed an earned run over seven innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, improving his record to 7-1.
