On November 20, 2023, the Atlanta Braves signed free agent RHP Reynaldo Lopez to a three-year/$30 million contract. He was coming off of a season where he pitched for three different teams (Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and the Cleveland Guardians) and finished the season with a 3-7 record and a 3.27 ERA.
He played in 68 games and pitched 66 innings out of the bullpen as he struck out 83 hitters and walked 34. Recently, Lopez arrived at Spring Training and was asked what he thought about the Braves bullpen in 2024. Here is what he had to say.
"Very dangerous. I mean, good luck to the hitters. The fact that a lot of guys are healthy and if they can stay healthy...I mean there's such a deep rotation of starters and relievers. Yeah, it's a force." - Lopez
He was then asked how it felt to be a part of a team where the expectations were always so high.
"It's definitely different. It's one thing to have expectations and it's another thing to achieve those expectations. I think this team has proven that it sets those standards and expectations but it also has the track record of achieving those expectations. That's just one of those things where I think the way the team is structured is that you can set high expectations and you can look forward to continued success." - Lopez
Lopez has mainly worked out of the bullpen but there has been insistence from Braves officials that he will get an opportunity to be a starting pitcher for the Braves this season. There are plenty of question marks about the back end of the Braves rotation. You have Fried, Strider, Morton, Sale, and a question mark for the fifth guy. Sure, you could pencil Bryce Elder in there, but he may not win the job.
You have guys like AJ Smith-Shawver, Darius Vines, Reynaldo Lopez, Hurston Waldrep, and many more who will all be attempting to earn that spot during Spring Training. It will be fun to see how this all works out.
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