Mets fans frustrated with Jorge Lopez's reported arrival - "Dumpster Dave strikes again"
It is being reported that the New York Mets are signing free-agent pitcher Jorge Lopez. Lopez split his 2023 season between the Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles.
During that year, he appeared in 49 games, compiling a 5.95 ERA with 49 strikeouts on 59 innings of work. He largely regressed from his impressive 2022 season.
During the 2022 season, Lopez was an All-Star. He posted a 2.54 ERA on 71 innings of work. But this season was much different. He had problems putting away batters after getting ahead in the count.
Earlier in the offseason, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns addressed his desire to retool the bullpen. Signing Lopez does just that, with Edwin Diaz expected to be on the team's Opening Day roster:
"Dumpster Dave strikes again" one fan posted.
"This is going from bad to worse" another fan posted.
Mets fans are seemingly not too excited to hear Jorge Lopez is coming their way. He is not the difference-maker the fans hoped to see the team sign over the winter.
Lopez is coming off a down year, and with the talent level on the open market, the fanbase is left wondering why. Relievers like Hector Neris, Aroldis Chapman and Ryne Stanek are still available.
Mets need to make more moves outside of Jorge Lopez
One of the reasons the Mets could have been interested in Jorge Lopez is his connection with bullpen coach Jose Rosado. Rosado helped coach Lopez and Team Puerto Rico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
However, Lopez cannot fix all of the team's problems, and they will have to make more moves this winter. They could still use a starting pitcher heading into the 2024 season.
They have their eyes set on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but many other teams are also on the top-rated free-agent pitcher. This includes the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
If the Mets want to land Yamamoto, they must make him an offer he cannot refuse. Yamamoto would pair nicely next to Kodai Senga in the rotation.
If they cannot land Yamamoto, expect them to shift their focus to other top-rated pitchers on the market. Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery would be the next pitchers on the list and would be solid replacements.
Expect more moves from this team relatively shortly.