ATLANTA -- Reynaldo López has been an effective reliever since transitioning to a bullpen role a couple years ago. But the Braves are going to give the hard-throwing right-hander a chance to return to a starting role.

L¨®pez and the Braves agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal on Monday morning. The 29-year-old will be stretched out during Spring Training so that there is an option for him to serve as either a starting pitcher or a reliever at the start of the 2024 season.

¡°There's a great vibe and atmosphere of wanting to win [with the Braves],¡± L¨®pez said through a translator. ¡°People I spoke to -- my inner circle of friends, everybody -- spoke highly of the organization. When my agent said that there was an opportunity I said, ¡®Let's do it.¡¯¡±

L¨®pez will receive $4 million in 2024 and $11 million during both the 2025 and 2026 seasons. His $8 million club option for 2027 includes a $4 million buyout.

When L¨®pez spoke to reporters, he said he didn¡¯t enter the offseason looking for a team that would allow him to serve as a starting pitcher, a role he handled through the 2020 season. The Braves just happened to provide the opportunity.?

Giving L¨®pez a chance to work as a starter doesn¡¯t influence the Braves¡¯ pursuit of Sonny Gray or another front-end starter. It simply expands the potential versatility that could exist within Atlanta¡¯s pitching staff.?

If L¨®pez doesn¡¯t fit the rotation at the start of next season, he could begin the season as a high-leverage reliever who also has the capability of working multiple innings.?

L¨®pez posted a 3.27 ERA and produced a 29.9% strikeout rate while pitching for the White Sox, Angels and Guardians this past season. Opponents batted .188 with a .545 OPS against his fastball last season. The pitch¡¯s average velocity of 98.2 mph ranked in the 96th percentile in baseball.

L¨®pez was used as both a starter and reliever after he debuted for the Nationals during the latter part of the 2016 season. He was used exclusively as a starter after being traded to the White Sox during the ensuing offseason.

It looked like L¨®pez might have found the right role as he posted a 3.91 ERA while making 32 starts for the White Sox in 2018. But his 4.63 FIP that year was a sign of things to come. He posted a 5.52 ERA with a 5.36 FIP while combining to make 41 starts for Chicago over the next two seasons.

L¨®pez didn¡¯t make the White Sox Opening Day roster in 2021. He came up in July and posted a 1.59 ERA during his first nine appearances, mostly as a reliever. But he produced a 4.10 ERA over the nine starts he completed that season.?

This big payday the Braves provided came courtesy of L¨®pez producing a 3.02 ERA over 129 appearances (131 1/3 innings) for the White Sox, Angels and Guardians the past two years.??

¡°I'm a different person from when I started,¡± L¨®pez said. ¡°A lot of it has been focus, the mindset and honestly, just the player's maturity from being here for a bit now.¡±