Poll: What’s your take on the Lopez trade

[Frobby]

Similar poll to the Mancini one.  I put an “other” option this time since I suspect my choices might not capture everyone’s opinion.  

[maybenxtyr]

Going to take some time on this for it to really make sense...or not. 

 

I know Elias has a plan but it's really hard for me to see it. Trading players off of the ML team for low A types is fine if they plan on bringing up some of the higher end guys from AAA. 

 

I'm just frustrated as a fan but I'll hang in there.

[InsideCoroner]

I liked the Lopez story that developed this year, but I don’t see how anyone can really  object to getting four pitching prospects in exchange for a guy who literally has had three good months in the majors (April thru June… he hasn’t been very good in July).

Do I believe Lopez will remain an elite closer? No. I think he can be very good, but apparently Elias is able to turn quite a few middling arms into strong bullpen pieces, and I trust they saw something they liked in the metrics on the guys they got. Different story if it was Bautista… I think he is the future. 

[tinman]

Hated it.

[Moose Milligan]

Initial reaction isn't great, but we got 4 arms for a guy who we, IIRC, picked up off waivers and rehabilitated into a good (not amazing) closer.  

I think the role of a closer is a bit overrated and I don't think Lopez was an elite one.  Also, it's not as if we don't have a guy (Bautista) who looks like he could step in and actually be elite.  

Lopez was looking amazing and he had a few hiccups right before the All-Star Break and he's blown a save after the break, too.  I think we sold high on him.  That said, for his sake I'd like to be wrong and I hope he has continued success in Minnesota because he seems like a good dude.

As far as the return we got, like I said...4 arms for a guy that, 6 months ago, no one thought anything of.  And all of a sudden people are acting like we traded prime Eckersley for spare parts.

We have to see how Lopez does in his new digs and we have to see if any of the arms we got today turn into valuable pieces.  This isn't one of those trades you can jump to conclusions on, despite the fact that that's exactly what sports message boards are for.

[jabba72]

I dont think the return is enough but I'll hope Elias makes me eat my words in a few years. I'll be happy to be wrong. There could be some analytical information on these pitchers the O's really like. But right now I dont like it.

[drdelaware]

What did Zach Britton ever do for the Yankees?  No issue.  Bautista is the closer in waiting.  Nothing against Lopez.  4 lottery tickets for someone with sky high era's until this year.

[RarityFlaherty]

5 minutes ago, InsideCoroner said:

I liked the Lopez story that developed this year, but I don’t see how anyone can really  object to getting four pitching prospects in exchange for a guy who literally has had three good months in the majors (April thru June… he hasn’t been very good in July).

Do I believe Lopez will remain an elite closer? No. I think he can be very good, but apparently Elias is able to turn quite a few middling arms into strong bullpen pieces, and I trust they saw something they liked in the metrics on the guys they got. Different story if it was Bautista… I think he is the future. 

Totally agree. I think a lot of people are overvaluing Lopez. Yeah, he was an all star this year, but he’s a guy who was claimed off waivers and doesn’t have a long track record of success. All things considered, I think it was a pretty decent return for him. 

[drdelaware]

8 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Initial reaction isn't great, but we got 4 arms for a guy who we, IIRC, picked up off waivers and rehabilitated into a good (not amazing) closer.  

I think the role of a closer is a bit overrated and I don't think Lopez was an elite one.  Also, it's not as if we don't have a guy (Bautista) who looks like he could step in and actually be elite.  

Lopez was looking amazing and he had a few hiccups right before the All-Star Break and he's blown a save after the break, too.  I think we sold high on him.  That said, for his sake I'd like to be wrong and I hope he has continued success in Minnesota because he seems like a good dude.

As far as the return we got, like I said...4 arms for a guy that, 6 months ago, no one thought anything of.  And all of a sudden people are acting like we traded prime Eckersley for spare parts.

We have to see how Lopez does in his new digs and we have to see if any of the arms we got today turn into valuable pieces.  This isn't one of those trades you can jump to conclusions on, despite the fact that that's exactly what sports message boards are for.

I like the way you think Moose.

[Moose Milligan]

16 minutes ago, drdelaware said:

I like the way you think Moose.

Thanks, but I’m sure I’ll say something stupid soon.

[e16bball]

For me, I’m waiting until I hear Elias’s comments on the deal. I want to hear how he explains the rationale for the particular return he got. 

If it’s the sort of “pitching is valuable, you can never have enough of it, we got four guys with good arms, we like them, we’re hopeful and excited about the depth it injects into our system” prattle that we’ve gotten with every lame “quantity” trade we’ve done in past years, I’ll be disappointed. Quantity for quantity’s sake is unmoving to me.

I think what folks have accurately pinpointed here is that the package seems to lack a true headliner. A higher probability, higher-ceiling guy that profiles as the real “get” from the deal. The internet scouts plainly don’t think there is one, which is largely why the reaction is so lukewarm. If Elias hones in one or two of these guys that they’re particularly high on and focuses on how excited they are to have gotten a chance to land *him*, that would leave me substantially more at ease. I want to know they pulled the trigger because there’s a guy they love and think has a true shot to be a major contributor down the road — not just because they wanted to trade Lopez and figured they might as well take a whack at a few guys who seem to have live arms and a puncher’s chance. 

[TheWall]

8 minutes ago, e16bball said:

For me, I’m waiting until I hear Elias’s comments on the deal. I want to hear how he explains the rationale for the particular return he got. 

If it’s the sort of “pitching is valuable, you can never have enough of it, we got four guys with good arms, we like them, we’re hopeful and excited about the depth it injects into our system” prattle that we’ve gotten with every lame “quantity” trade we’ve done in past years, I’ll be disappointed. Quantity for quantity’s sake is unmoving to me.

I think what folks have accurately pinpointed here is that the package seems to lack a true headliner. A higher probability, higher-ceiling guy that profiles as the real “get” from the deal. The internet scouts plainly don’t think there is one, which is largely why the reaction is so lukewarm. If Elias hones in one or two of these guys that they’re particularly high on and focuses on how excited they are to have gotten a chance to land *him*, that would leave me substantially more at ease. I want to know they pulled the trigger because there’s a guy they love and think has a true shot to be a major contributor down the road — not just because they wanted to trade Lopez and figured they might as well take a whack at a few guys who seem to have live arms and a puncher’s chance. 

He isn't going to give you what you want, but I think you can be confident that they thought this was the best move to improve the organization long-term. 

[btdart20]

Completely shocked to see lack of votes for those not wanting to trade Lopez.  

[sportsfan8703]

Can Bautista rack up saves and somehow finish top 2-3 in ROY and get us an extra draft pick?  Julio Rodriguez.  Witt.  AR.  

[deward]

1 hour ago, InsideCoroner said:

I liked the Lopez story that developed this year, but I don’t see how anyone can really  object to getting four pitching prospects in exchange for a guy who literally has had three good months in the majors (April thru June… he hasn’t been very good in July).

Do I believe Lopez will remain an elite closer? No. I think he can be very good, but apparently Elias is able to turn quite a few middling arms into strong bullpen pieces, and I trust they saw something they liked in the metrics on the guys they got. Different story if it was Bautista… I think he is the future. 

Lopez blew saves in back to back games on Jul 1-2, his worst two days of the year so far. Since then, his ERA is 1.64. In other words, he had a blip and has been just fine since. I don't think guys with 99 mph sinkers grow on trees, and unless Lopez completely loses his command at some point, I'm not seeing how that sinker won't continue to be an effective weapon. 

I wasn't against trading Lopez if the market for him was strong. My initial reaction is to be deeply disappointed with this return. If that's all Elias could get for him today, then he should have waited for another time. The fact that he didn't want to wait suggests to me that this move was at least partially driven by money, which is depressing. The combined return on these two trades suggests to me that Elias isn't intending to push for a contender in 2023 either, which really sucks. I'm out of patience with this rebuild.