An interesting piece of information: Rodrigo Lopez is expecting to make a decision on whether to sign with the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Colorado Rockies soon, according to mlbtraderumors.
To ask the obvious: why would the Braves offer Lopez a contract, even if it is a minor league deal? They have added three relievers to their bullpen, they have two solid rookies competing for the 5th starter in their rotation, they have three of the top young pitchers who are moving quickly toward their rotation, as well as some solid up and coming prospects for their bullpen. Needless to say, they have no room for Lopez. They have one of the deepest pitching staffs at or near the MLB level than most if not all MLB teams.
Here is what Lopez offers: he is a career 75-82 with a 4.85 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 184 home runs allowed and an opponent batting average of .280.
Last season, with the Diamondbacks, he had a 5.00 ERA, a .286 average, 111 runs and a career high 37 home runs, although he did pitch 200 innings.
Maybe their thoughts are they need to add some depth to their minor league system. Maybe they feel he has something left in the tank, though he hasn’t really shown much promise since 2004. Or maybe they need a new BP pitcher?
Original Story:
http://www.tomahawktalk.com/2011/01/c...
