He's back: O's claim 2022 All-Star closer Jorge López on waivers

PHOENIX – The Orioles bullpen added a reinforcement today as the club claimed former O’s closer Jorge López off waivers from Miami. He has not reported yet to the team. Right-hander Logan Gillaspie was designated for assignment to make 40-man roster room.

The 40-man roster has a full 40 players.

López, acquired by the Orioles via waivers from Kansas City on Aug. 9, 2020, became an All-Star on their watch after struggling to pitch as a starter. In 2022 for the Orioles he pitched to a 1.68 ERA in the 'pen with a 0.972 WHIP and 10.1 strikeout rate in 44 games.

On Aug. 2, 2022, the Orioles traded López to Minnesota for four pitchers: Yennier Cano, Cade Povich, Juan Nunez and Juan Rojas.

But López had a 4.81 ERA and 1.414 WHIP in 60 games with the Twins over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. On June 8 they placed him on the restricted list for “mental health reasons,” and he was reinstated July 4. On July 26, they traded him to Miami for right-hander Dylan Floro. Now he is back as an Oriole.

Between the Twins and Marlins this year, López is 6-2 with a 6.13 ERA and 1.574 WHIP over 47 innings. He has a 3.8 walk rate and 6.7 strikeout rate.

Media reports said López’s move to the restricted list was due in part to his acting out in frustration during his struggles on the mound.

"I got off the line a little bit," López said upon being reinstated. "I recognized that. Good thing I got some help, and like I said, I really appreciate what the team's been doing, what the staff's been doing. I couldn't be more thankful for it. They just want me to be there and be good. That's all I want to do, and that's what I'm trying to pay back to them. So hopefully, we kind of stay concentrated, execute all the pitches, and I'm ready to roll."

But now he will be doing his pitching for the Orioles, once he reports. In the 2021 season, he went 3-14 with a 6.07 ERA for the Orioles, mostly as a starter. But manager Brandon Hyde moved López to the bullpen late that year and had some success in that role, recording a 2.16 ERA in eight games to end the season.

That led to his full-time bullpen role in 2022, and he was named the Orioles’ lone All-Star after pitching to a 1.62 ERA with 17 saves in 40 games in the first half.

The trade to the Twins was surprising, but it netted the Orioles four pitchers they liked, including Cano, who made the All-Star Game this year, and Povich, who is ranked as their No. 12 prospect by MLBPipeline.com. Nunez is their No. 29 prospect.

Gillaspie allowed six earned runs in nine innings in 11 games this year with Baltimore.

When López reports the Orioles will need to remove a pitcher to add López. Just Friday they added righty Joey Krehbiel from Triple-A Norfolk as rosters expanded to 28 players. Last night, in a 4-2 loss at Arizona, Krehbiel pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. 

López will not be eligible for the postseason roster because the Orioles acquired him after Aug. 31. He was not in the organization on that date, the cutoff to be eligible for the playoffs.