3 low-cost Mets free agent signings whose salaries the team shouldn't be afraid to eat

2) Jorge Lopez

Signed to a one-year $2 million contract, Jorge Lopez shouldn’t get any benefit of the doubt if he struggles on the mound early. Think of him as a pricier minor league signing who happened to make the roster. The lifetime 5.54 ERA is the kind of player he is. Other than the spectacular first half with the Baltimore Orioles in 2022, Lopez has regularly been a batting practice pitcher who struggles to get outs.

Lopez ended up pitching for three different teams last year, eventually going back to Baltimore to finish things off. He’d end the year with a 5.95 ERA in 59 innings. This is a completely different case than it is with Luis Severino. At least Severino has been one of the best in the game when healthy. Lopez has a thin resume.

It’s in the bullpen where the Mets should be especially ruthless. The lack of optional relievers makes it so they lack the flexibility to even promote a pitcher without getting a little creative. Lopez is a candidate for an early hook from the roster entirely if he fails to perform.

Believing Lopez will be anything but an innings eater out of the bullpen is optimistic. The track record makes no suggestion that he’ll suddenly figure things out under the guidance of Jeremy Hefner or hours in the pitching lab. With him, it’s a case of expecting the worst and hoping for the best.