Braves have interesting plan for newly signed pitcher
The Atlanta Braves have been one of the busiest teams through the early part of the MLB offseason.
The club won an MLB-best 104 games this past season but saw their championship hopes fall short when they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the Division Series. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has been aggressive in reshaping the club's pitching staff, with a focus on the bullpen.
The Braves have made a pair of trades, adding left-hander Aaron Bummer and right-hander Jackson Kowar to the bullpen mix. They have also re-signed right-handers Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez to multi-year extensions.
On Monday, the club announced it has signed right-hander Reynaldo Lopez to a three-year deal with a team option for a fourth. Lopez will reportedly be guaranteed $30M in the deal.
What's curious about the signing, however, is the Braves plan for how they'll use Lopez. Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the team will stretch Lopez out and bring him to spring training as a starter.
Lopez, who turns 30 in January, pitched to a 3.27 ERA and 1.273 WHIP across 68 appearances this last season between the White Sox, Angels and Guardians. His 29.9 K% marked a career-high and ranked among the best marks in baseball.
As a starter early in his career, Lopez struggled to be effective and didn't truly break out until the White Sox moved him to the bullpen full-time during the 2022 season. Atlanta may be hoping to look at Lopez as a starter in the spring but his track record suggests he'll likely be better suited in a bullpen role long term. Of course, should the club bring in another starting option this offseason these plans could be moot before long.
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