Cubs News: Valuable piece of the 2024 bullpen joins the Nationals on a one-year deal

There's no need to re-hash the early season woes of the Chicago Cubs bullpen. We all know the story and the impact it wound up having on the team's hopes of returing to the postseason. Jed Hoyer has admitted he didn't do a good enough job assembling a mix of relievers last winter, but he did his best to make up for with some critical in-season pick-ups - and one of his biggest additions was the signing of former All-Star Jorge Lopez.

Lopez had an inauspicious end to his stint with the New York Mets after signing a one-year, $2 million deal with the team last offseason, forcing the club to cut him loose mid-season. In dire need of relief help, the Cubs signed him in early June and the right-hander hit the ground running.

From that point on, Lopez was as reliable as they come for Craig Counsell. He made 24 appearances and worked to a 2.03 ERA and 1.088 WHIP, punching out more than 10 batters per nine in the process. With runners in scoring position, he held opponents to a .535 OPS on the year - but struggled in limited save situations. While he may not be a closer, Lopez pitched meaningful innings for the Cubs last year and that will be the case with his next team, as well.

Lopez inked a one-year, $3 million big-league deal with the Nationals this weekend, which means he'll join his eighth team in 10 MLB seasons. Washington is a young team on the rise, with a group of wildly promising position players, but they still have work to do before they're ready to contend in a powerful National League East.

If he pitches well, Nationals president and GM of baseball ops Mike Rizzo could look to flip him at the deadline - but, for now, he bolsters a Washington bullpen that ranked 21st in baseball with a 4.21 ERA last year. As for the Cubs, they'll sort out a crowded bullpen picture during spring training, with a mix of new and familiar faces vying for spots on the 26-man roster.