Every NY Mets free agent David Stearns signed who didn’t make it through his contract

4) Jorge Lopez

Jorge Lopez seemingly broke out in 2022 with an All-Star campaign. However, in 2023, he struggled to the tune of a 5.95 ERA, 5.76 FIP, and 1.51 WHIP over 59 innings with the Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins, and Baltimore Orioles. After the 2023 season, Lopez hit free agency and then signed a one-year, $2 million guarantee with the Mets in December.

Lopez's 3.76 ERA in 26.1 innings may have looked solid, but it came with 11 walks, 25 hits allowed, and three home runs, with only 19 K's. He was also struggling badly in May, as eight of the earned runs and seven of the walks he allowed came in his final 12 months with the Mets. However, the end of his tenure in New York is what most Mets fans remember about him.

During what would be his final game with the Mets, Lopez allowed a three-run homer to Shohei Ohtani. With Freddie Freeman at the plate, Freeman took a check-swing call that Lopez disagreed with. After arguing with the umpires, Lopez was ejected and threw his glove into the stands. During the postgame interview, Lopez said he did not regret his actions and proceeded to call the Mets "the worst team in the whole (expletive) MLB." Lopez was designated for assignment; however, what fans didn't know at the time was that Lopez and his family were dealing with more important things than just baseball. Lopez's son, who suffers from a chronic illness known as familial Mediterranean fever, was awaiting a transplant. Lopez's son had long suffered from this illness, even from the time he was an infant.

While Lopez had seemingly been dealt an unlucky hand by life, he was able to end the year on a high note, pitching to the tune of a 2.03 ERA, 3.20 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP through his final 26.2 innings after the Chicago Cubs signed him. In 2025, Lopez signed with the Washington Nationals, but struggled in 24.2 innings before he was released at the beginning of June.