Pair of pitchers join third team of season together, prove breaking up is hard to do

Miraculously, both 29-year-old hurlers will now be joining their fourth MLB team together, just over seven years since making their big league debuts during the summer of 2016.

Giolito was selected by the Washington Nationals with the 12th overall pick in the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft and made his first appearance in the nation's capital four years later, on June 28, 2016. Lopez signed with the Nationals in June 2012 as an amateur free agent and made it to the show with his debut four years later, on July 19, 2016.

The righties combined for 17 appearances (10 starts) before being dealt to the Chicago White Sox together (along with fellow pitcher Dane Dunning) in December 2016.

Giolito and Lopez were members of Chicago's starting rotation from 2017-2020, with the former making his lone All-Star team in 2019. The latter shifted to the team's bullpen (making occasional starts) in 2021, before the pair again were traded in a package, this time to the Los Angeles Angels just over one month ago.

Despite another MVP-caliber season from Shohei Ohtani, the Angels (64-70) are headed toward another fall watching the playoffs from the couch after a brutal 8-19 record in August. Los Angeles quickly gave up on the dream of breaking its lengthy postseason drought and placed Giolito, Lopez and others on waivers Tuesday.

Now, the duo will join the Cleveland Guardians (64-70) for the stretch run and remain attached at the hip.