Yankees Sign Former Diamondbacks Infielder

Lopez may not be a familiar name to many Yankees fans. But unlike Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who's fourth in the majors with 26 home runs this season, Lopez isn't forcing Cashman to surrender any prospects in a trade deadline deal as part of New York's quest to upgrade at third base.

So who's Lopez, you ask. Murray reports the 30-year-old signed with the Chicago Cubs in February and opted out after not making the Opening Day roster. From there, Lopez signed with the Los Angeles Angels, who designated him for assignment after just four games. He then returned to the Cubs, only to be DFA'd after 14 games. Then came Lopez's minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks.

So, why did the Yankees sign Lopez, you ask? Murray notes Lopez played well at Triple-A Reno, hitting .267 in 24 games while playing every infield position as well as left field. "At 30, Lopez's best years are likely behind him," Murray wrote Thursday.

"He is not the same player he once was, and has struggled to make much of an impact at the plate in recent years," Murray continued. "However, he's a sound defender at multiple infield positions, which does bring with it some value for contending teams in need of depth at second base, shortstop or third base."

Lopez has seven seasons of MLB experience, having played for the Cubs, Angels, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals. He's played in a total of 686 games, hitting .245 with a .621 OPS and 5.7 WAR.

While with the Royals, Lopez led the American League in sacrifice hits in 2021 (12) and 2022 (10). The 2021 campaign was his best in the bigs, hitting a career-high .300 with 43 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in 151 games.

Taking into account Lopez's MLB track record, as well as his recent performance in the minors, Murray concluded, "there could be a market for him prior to the MLB trade deadline, especially if he's willing to prove himself in a contender's farm system."

Now, he's a member of the New York Yankees.

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