Should Orioles take chance on Jorge López reunion after controversial Mets DFA?

Wednesday was a good night for the Orioles. A Gunnar Henderson grand slam set the tone for the team in a 6-1 win over the Boston Red Sox, winning yet another series against an AL East opponent. However, it was not a good night for a former Oriole.

Jorge López, one of the best stories of 2022 for the Orioles, was traded at the trade deadline to the Minnesota Twins that year in a trade that brought them Cade Povich and Yennier Cano as the headline pieces of the return.

After he was signed in the offseason by the New York Mets, López had a bit of a blowup on the mound Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As the Mets lost their third game in a row and being swept by the Dodgers, López was ejected in the eighth inning and proceeded to lose his cool as he departed, tossing his glove into the stands.

Talking to the media after the game, López appeared to call the Mets the worst f-----g team in the league, and later reportedly clarified to mean that he was the worst teammate on the worst team.

Anthony DiComo then reported that the Mets DFA'd López after the incident, saying that the Mets were embarrassed by López's actions, lying about meeting with management and then showing no remorse for what he did. It was an all-encompassing DFA based on more than just said slip of the tongue.

The Orioles, coincidentally, could use some bullpen depth at the moment, as the starting rotation is in the process of being patched together in the wake of a few injuries. Should they give López a call?

Should the Orioles bring Jorge López back after being DFAd by the Mets?

The short answer is no. But I'll elaborate a little more. López has actually had a decent season for the Mets, having a 3.76 ERA and 1.37 WHIP to go with two saves in 26 1/3 innings, appearing in 28 games. One look at López's Baseball Savant page, however, and you see the underlying numbers are not in his favor.

With a 89th percentile ranking in offspeed run value, that is where the good metrics start and end with López. He ranks in the sixth percentile in chase percentage, 14th in whiff and barrel percentage, and his strikeout percentage is in the 19th percentile.

The Orioles also tried a reunion with López last season. They claimed him off waivers from the Miami Marlins after Félix Bautista got injured, and it didn't exactly work out. In his second go around with the team, he authored a 5.25 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 12 innings and 12 appearances before he was DFA'd again.

While Mike Elias and the Orioles could be tempted to scoop up López at this point, the team should stay away. He burned bridges with an organization less than 24 hours ago, and pursuing him could end up with more of a 2023 ending than a 2022 magical run.