Reliever Jorge López and New York Mets finalize $2 million, 1-year contract

Relief pitcher Jorge López and New York Mets finalized ir $2 million, one-year contract on Thursday.

López gives Mets anor experienced arm as y rebuild ir bullpen depth with low-cost castoffs.

right-hander pitched for three playoff teams last season, going 6-2 with a 5.95 ERA and three saves in 61 relief appearances for Minnesota, Miami and Baltimore.

López, who turns 31 in February, moved exclusively to bullpen in 2022 and was a dominant closer for Orioles during four breakout months that earned him an All-Star selection. Baltimore tred him to Twins in early August that year and he finished 4-7 with a 2.54 ERA and 23 saves in 67 games.

Besides that, he’s mostly struggled in eight major league seasons. López is 22-40 with a 5.51 ERA and 27 saves in 230 games, including 58 starts, for Milwaukee, Kansas City, Baltimore, Minnesota and Miami. He pitched for Brewers when ir general manager was David Stearns, Mets’ new president of baseball operations.

Stearns tred López and outfielder Brett Phillips to Kansas City in July 2018 for infielder Mike Moustakas.

López could earn a prominent role in a Mets bullpen with holes to fill behind star closer Edwin Díaz and lefty Brooks Raley. Right-handers Drew Smith and Phil Bickford return, and Stearns also signed free agents Austin ams and Michael Tonkin to big league contracts this fall.

New York relievers ranked 22nd in majors with a 4.45 ERA last season.

López was tred from Twins to Marlins in late July, n claimed off waivers by Baltimore on Sept. 2. Ineligible for postseason roster because he didn’t rejoin organization until September, he was assigned outright to Triple-A Norfolk by AL East champion Orioles in early October and chose to become a free agent inste.