The Chicago White Sox had a lot of bad players in 2023. There were a few of them that were pitchers which is why they had a record of 61-101 to end the season. Pitching is key in this league and the White Sox were not very good at it.
However, not every pitcher was straight-up terrible. Reynaldo Lopez was decent during his time with the Chicago White Sox in 2023. He didn't finish the whole year on their team but he was good while he was there.
The White Sox traded Reynaldo Lopez to the Los Angeles Angels ahead of the trade deadline. He was sent in the package that also sent Lucas Giolito out west. It was the second time that the paid had been traded together as they came to Chicago in the Adam Eaton deal with Washington.
Following that, they were placed on waivers together too so that the Angels could shed their salary. Ironically, they were both claimed by the same team too as the Cleveland Guardians landed them.
Reynaldo Lopez was a decent bullpen arm for the Chicago White Sox.
Reynaldo was even better in Los Angeles and Cleveland than he was in Chicago although it was a much smaller sample size. With the White Sox, he had a 4.29 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 42.0 innings pitched. Obviously, they were a bad team which didn't make anything easier on him.
2023 Final Grade: C+
Reynaldo Lopez came into this season with mixed expectations. He was a reliable reliever out of the bullpen. He wasn't needed for any starts this season as a White Sox pitcher which is surprising considering how their season went but he was good out of the pen.
He deserves a C because the team around him didn't allow him to earn a higher grade. He wasn't always pitching in quality situations and things were often hard. He has to be hoping for a much better situation next year.
2024 Outlook:
Speaking of next year, Reynaldo Lopez is in a very interesting spot. He won't have the market of a starter but he could really help out someone's bullpen. He will be 30 at the start of the season so there is plenty of hope that someone will give him a deal with some years.
He deserves it now. At this point, he might want to be picky on his team and try his best to land with someone who has a chance to win. Those are usually the teams that add to their bullpen anyway. We'll see how it goes for him.