Jorge Lopez traded to Twins for pitching prospects (edit)

[Roll Tide]

9 hours ago, Three Run Homer said:

So, the Mancini trade was awesome and the Lopez trade was meh.  

It depends, Lopez was traded for lower level guys. We have 16 of 17 of the top 30 at AA or AAA. That’s not counting adding in the draft guys. So the goal was to push the talent quality  up at the the lower levels. And to add pitching that he hasn’t been focusing on as much the last couple of drafts.

[RZNJ]

Watched some video of Yennier Diaz.  In some his arm slot is high and he looks like he has a nasty splitter/change up.  In some the slot is lower.  The high slot version could be very interesting.

[Hallas]

1 hour ago, Roll Tide said:

It depends, Lopez was traded for lower level guys. We have 16 of 17 of the top 30 at AA or AAA. That’s not counting adding in the draft guys. So the goal was to push the talent quality  up at the the lower levels. And to add pitching that he hasn’t been focusing on as much the last couple of drafts.

Unless we're looking for players to fill out a baseball roster adding prospects in the lower levels doesn't really mean much to me.  It's rare that good prospects stay in the lower levels for long anyway, so I would consider this to be normal.  Besides the issue I have with the trade is we got a 40+ player, maybe fringe 45 at best, plus some lottery tickets, and I thought that Lopez was worth more than that.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Hallas said:

Unless we're looking for players to fill out a baseball roster adding prospects in the lower levels doesn't really mean much to me.  It's rare that good prospects stay in the lower levels for long anyway, so I would consider this to be normal.  Besides the issue I have with the trade is we got a 40+ player, maybe fringe 45 at best, plus some lottery tickets, and I thought that Lopez was worth more than that.

In general I favor quality over quantity.

 

[RZNJ]

Baseball America

Twins third-round pick in 2021 out of Nebraska, Povich has been one of the club’s breakout prospects in 2022. Pitching at High-A Cedar Rapids, Povich has shown the ability to mix four pitches, demonstrating feel for attacking hitters to go with solid stuff. The best is likely yet to come for Povich as he struggles to maintain his velocity. He’ll flash a 94-96 mph fastball early in games, but generally settles in at 91-93 mph. Povich has a chance to have four average or better pitches. His 82-85 mph changeup can baffle Class A hitters, his mid-70s curveball is effective both because of its depth but also because hitters struggle to adjust to the velocity change. He also throws a low-80s slider that can get firmer and sharper, but will flash above-average at its best. Povich should continue to get stronger, but he already has the building blocks to be a mid-rotation starter if it all develops.

[RZNJ]

Baseball America

The Twins signed Cano, a Cuban, in 2019. With their bullpen issues in 2022, he got his first shot of big league time, and so far, it has not gone well. Cano was knocked out of the game mid-inning in two of his first three MLB outings and he’s allowed 28 baseunners in just 13.2 innings in the majors. But Cano has had success in the minors thanks to a slinging, low-three-quarters release point, mid-90s fastball velocity and an above-average changeup. Cano wants to work down in the zone. If he’s on, he’s working in the bottom third of the strike zone and then expanding a little bit down and off the plate as well. That changeup is vital for him, as lefthanded hitters get a very good look at his pitches thanks to the same release point that is troublesome for righthanded hitters. Cano was only added to the 40-man roster this year, so he has multiple options remaining. That makes him a potentially useful up-and-down reliever who could have a larger role if he can sharpen his slider.

[RZNJ]

Baseball America

Nunez is one of many players whose careers have been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic. He signed in 2019, but because of the lost 2020 season, he didn’t make his pro debut until 2021, and he is making his U.S. debut in 2022 in the Florida Complex League. Nunez throws a mid-90s fastball with above-average but not exceptional movement. His mid-80s slider is a potentially future plus pitch thanks to its excellent power. He has a well below-average changeup that needs plenty of work. Nunez is a strike-thrower with above-average control, which gives him a path to a potential MLB role years from now if he continues to develop.

[Sports Guy]

Keep reading that the Os traded Lopez at peak value.  No they didn’t.  The only this is peak value is if you believe he is pitching way over his head and is due for a major regression.

His stat lines don’t say he is. 
 

Now, what they did do is hedge their bet.  They said, well we don’t know if this is his highest value but we can get a package that we like that is “good enough”, so let’s do it and protect ourselves. 

[RZNJ]

Baseball America 

Rojas doesn’t light up a radar gun, but his 88-91 mph fastball is quite lively, and its movement gives it a shot to develop into an average or even above-average pitch as Rojas gets older and stronger. Rojas demonstrates feel for spin with a promising 82-84 mph slider with depth as well as a bigger, slower 76-78 mph curveball. His changeup, like that of many young pitchers, is less developed. Rojas has starter traits. His control is very advanced for his age giving him the ability to stay ahead of hitters thanks to his ability to throw multiple pitches for strikes.

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

Keep reading that the Os traded Lopez at peak value.  No they didn’t.  The only this is peak value is if you believe he is pitching way over his head and is due for a major regression.

His stat lines don’t say he is. 
 

Now, what they did do is hedge their bet.  They said, well we don’t know if this is his highest value but we can get a package that we like that is “good enough”, so let’s do it and protect ourselves. 

It’s hard to believe Lopez can be much better than he has been AND he has multiple years of service time so betting that this was his peak value was a reasonable bet.  

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

It’s hard to believe Lopez can be much better than he has been AND he has multiple years of service time so betting that this was his peak value was a reasonable bet.  

He doesn’t have to be better.  He just had to still be very good and his value will be higher.  He has to show he can be very good for more than a few months.  
 

As he does that, the value increases.  Right now, you look at his past, you see it’s been a good few months and you question if he can keep it up.  So, you are willing to trade only so much to get him.

[LookinUp]

7 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

It’s hard to believe Lopez can be much better than he has been AND he has multiple years of service time so betting that this was his peak value was a reasonable bet.  

Well, continued success would increase his value.

[LA2]

21 hours ago, Brooks The Great said:

How can you possibly say it's not remotely true that Elias couldn't have continued negotiating with other teams closer to the end of the deadline? That's a ridiculous thing to say.

Not really. It's just as likely that the Os could have gotten less by playing chicken down to the deadline.

[rudyrooster]

Just wait 'til Elias and Sig sprinkle their "special sauce" on these new young pitchers.   

[RZNJ]

6 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

He doesn’t have to be better.  He just had to still be very good and his value will be higher.  He has to show he can be very good for more than a few months.  
 

As he does that, the value increases.  Right now, you look at his past, you see it’s been a good few months and you question if he can keep it up.  So, you are willing to trade only so much to get him.

Aren’t these GMs as smart as you?  You have no questions that he’ll keep it up.  Or will he regress like you stated a month ago?  I admit it. I can’t keep up.