Jorge Lopez traded to Twins for pitching prospects (edit)

[baltfan]

I would feel better about this if any of the players that Elias had traded for in the past had actually hit.  His track record on trades has been pretty spotty.  Of course, we were more desperate before and they do seem to have figured something out with more recent waiver claims.

[RZNJ]

3 minutes ago, Three Run Homer said:

At first glance I am disappointed and puzzled by this trade.  Lopez is not a fluke; he is not the first failed starter whose stuff plays up in short stints.  Guys who can throw 99 MPH sinkers with wicked movement and command do not grow on trees--the last time the O's had one, his name was Zach Britton.  I see no reason that Lopez can't continue to be an excellent back-end reliever for the next few years.  The fact that we got him on waivers is irrelevant.  If you find a Van Gogh at a yard sale, it's still a Van Gogh, and you don't sell it cheap.  

Sadly, I find it all too plausible that Elias was told that the club didn't want to pay Lopez' Arb 2 salary in 2023, and so he had to trade him now.   

The only caveat is that I want to know more about the FCL guys, especially the 18 year old lefty.  Does he have high-end stuff or is he more of a pitchability guy?  Otherwise, I don't see a lot of upside in this trade.  I'm not too impressed with Povich.  His K/BB numbers are good but he gives up too many home runs.  You don't trade an all-star reliever for a guy whose ceiling is to be a number 4-5 starter.  I agree with earlier posters who pointed out that guys like Cano are available on the waiver wire routinely.   

Finally, maybe we shouldn't be surprised at the low return considering that the Twins are the one team that Lopez bombed against this season.  

Decent post until the last sentence.  The Twins, most likely, offered a better package than the teams Lopez dominated this year.

[Three Run Homer]

20 minutes ago, DJHJR86 said:

We got 6 pitchers in return for 1 and a 30 year old DH who has had a starter level WAR for only 2 seasons...and people are upset at this?  I legitimately do not understand.

Nobody is upset at the Mancini trade.  We're talking about the Lopez trade, which in isolation doesn't look very good to me yet.  

[Moose Milligan]

I will agree that the Lopez return isn't initially overwhelming.  But we need to see how these guys pan out.  I'm not getting my hopes up, but still.  

[NedFromYork]

Cano is probably slotted in if Lyles is traded?

[oriolediehard]

I hope that Elias told by Angelos to trade Lopez just to save money?

[Sports Guy]

Just now, oriolediehard said:

I hope that Elias told by Angelos to trade Lopez just to save money?

They included money in the deal.

[RZNJ]

Just now, Sports Guy said:

They included money in the deal.

And they just paid about 2M (including the penalty tax) for a 17th round SS they didn't need to spend.   

[deward]

1 hour ago, Ripken said:

Fantastic sell high.  Dude worries me going forward.

I feel exactly the opposite. I find Lopez's performance since he was moved to short relief to be very convincing, and I don't see anything that gives me reason to believe that he's suddenly going to regress (other than the general volatility of short-relievers). This comes off to me as selling for whatever they could get now, in order to not pay him next year. Otherwise, why not wait for other opportunities? Teams would have been looking for a closer this off-season. 

Maybe Lopez falls off a cliff and Elias ends up looking smart for dodging that bullet, but that isn't what I'm expecting.

[deward]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

They included money in the deal.

The money-saving aspect would obviously be avoiding arbitration with Lopez after a successful 2022. He was going to get more expensive.

[clapdiddy]

Just now, deward said:

The money-saving aspect would obviously be avoiding arbitration with Lopez after a successful 2022. He was going to get more expensive.

But, he could have been dealt before his salary went on the books.

[sportsfan8703]

Looks like Cano will slot right into our pen.  Povich looks like a back end rotation option.  Then two depth arms.  

I just feel like we could've gotten more.  

[Sports Guy]

3 minutes ago, deward said:

The money-saving aspect would obviously be avoiding arbitration with Lopez after a successful 2022. He was going to get more expensive.

Perhaps but then trade him in the offseason.

[Flash- bd]

Well, was initially ecstatic to see Elias' conviction and ballsiness in continuing to sell high no matter the optics, López was a guy I wanted to see traded, but the return is really underwhelming. Hard to understand but you have to imagine they like something about one of the younger two guys. 

[Sports Guy]

Just now, sportsfan8703 said:

Looks like Cano will slot right into our pen.  Povich looks like a back end rotation option.  Then two depth arms.  

I just feel like we could've gotten more.  

You have to put Cano in the pen now.  See if you can turn him around.