Rockies Close On Javy Lopez

Javy Lopez is expected to sign with the Rockies on Monday, according to the Denver Post.  Lopez will be in the catching mix with Chris Iannetta and Yorvit Torrealba.

I hate to see young Iannetta blocked, but Lopez only caught 38 games last year and 28 the year before.  Torrealba, meanwhile, needs to prove his health after ending '06 on the 60-day DL for a strained shoulder.  He's played in the Venezuelan Winter League recently.

Comments

[ramaboy28]

Lopez can't play D anymore let alone take care of a relatively young pitching staff. Rox should of just let Iannetta start the whole year but now with Lopez on board, it's not happening.

[darkstar1661]

Its funny how quickly a guy can go from star to roster filler...

Not a bad deal for him though, the thin air should increase his numbers and probably give him the confidence to be strong at the plate again - well if he has anything left that is. So if he catches any playing time in Col he could produce numbers good enough for him to catch on with another team next year.

I don't see the Rocks side of it though, unless maybe they get lucky and can trade him at the break...

[ArodSucksAtLife]

"Its funny how quickly a guy can go from star to roster filler..."

Damn drug testing.

[JoeyJr09]

"Rox should of just let Iannetta start the whole year but now with Lopez on board, it's not happening."

Lopez has caught like 50 games over the past 2 years. The guy hasn't been a starting catcher for 2 seasons. How does that mean that Iannetta isn't going to play everyday. Iannetta is the starting catcher for the Rockies. Lopez is just an insurance policy because Torreabla is hurt and besides, even the best catchers can't catch every game. Lopez would be a solid signing for the Rox

[MarkStr82Hell1]

Javy Lopez has never been a steroid user, dickhead.
That's ignorant. He's just lost his skills due to age.

[nrmax88]

Isnt Chris Ianetta one of their top prospects? I thought the Rockies were loaded with prospects that were aboud ready to play, ie Ianetta, Tulowitzki, and Ian Stewart. Why sign a guy like Javy Lopez, then again, he can probably hit 20 HRs there and drive in like 60 if he plays enough

[nrmax88]

I think he was most likely on steroids. I dont think its at all ignorant for him to say that. Its an opinion, which I agree with but even if I didnt, its not like its such a ridiculous idea that Lopez might have used steroids. He was huge and then he had a few huge years and then dropped off like CRAZY.

[greenbaydude1232]

Saying anyone took steroids can't be ignorant. No one knows who took steroids and who didn't. Hell, for all you know Chris Ianetta is on steroids. No one knows!

[bravesrule14]

i think he did take steriods. u dont get that kind of dropoff from age. at least he was using them while he was on the Braves and gave us some huge seasons. we let him go because JS suspected steriods and didne want that in the clubhouse and now look we have McCann.

[pinetarhand]

If the theory is that he took steroids & dropped off because he stopped, then why did it happen while playing for the Orioles? No offense to the Orioles, but I've never heard of a team more linked to steroids. Aren't they the ones that had 2 cofee pots or something like that?

The guy had 1 huge year, his walk year, no big surprise there. The 3 years prior to that, he never topped .900 OPS. That Braves 2003 team had a juggernaught of an offense, and some of his success that year could have come from that plus people just seem to play better their walk years.

I really have no opinion on whether he took roids or not. I just see a player that had a huge year at the right time with no previous proof that he would do it again. After all, he is a 36 YO catcher, and, IMO, catchers decline faster than other position players.

[pinetarhand]

Actually, he never had a full .900 OPS season in his career before that 1 huge walk year where he posted a 1.065.

[plh903]

Randy Velarde has been linked in the Balco case. I think that any speculation is nothing more than that, but Javy is as good a candidate as any. We all know there were at least a 100 dudes taking steroids around then. Probably, lots, lots, more.

[bamabosoxfan]

Lopez wasn't exactly bad defensively filling in for the Sox last year. His hitting was terrible, but he held his own with the pitchers. I see him as more of a backup to Helton at first- it'd be easier on his knees, which is the main health concern besides age.

Lopez has had an amazing career, and I hope he succeeds in Colorado. One more decent season to wipe away the last two mediocre seasons, then ride off into the sunset. Best of luck, Javy.

[greenbaydude1232]

If he has a good season next year he wont be riding of into the sunset. He'll be cashing in for whatever team is stupid enough to give him more than a million dollars

[darkstar1661]

See, I tend to agree that steroids are a good possibility in his case, and I see his drop in health as well as production to be signs of this probably being the case. I didn't say it in my first post, but I did think about adding it in.

Fact is Javy came out of nowhere to post great stats then pulls a Brady Anderson and can't hit nor stay healthy enough to be worth league min. If the steroid thing has taught us anything its that these are the trends most likely visable in a user. Is it proof? Nah, not at all but you have to wonder...

Also being in Bal at the same time testing started with a known target on the team in Sammy it might have been enough to scare him straight. He had already signed his careers best contract, why not take the money and go clean letting everything else fall into place instead of possibly getting involved in scandle which would ruin your name. Makes sense to me...

Oh I hope we get those names someday, I hate the fact that all the attention goes to a few guys who aren't well liked as if they were the only problems. People have to come to grips with the fact that Bonds, BigMac, Sammy, Raffy etc are not the problem but just one of many parts in a much bigger problem. We can't single out like 5 guys and say 'you did bad' when hundreds of guys were doing it who we probably continue to praise...

[ArodSucksAtLife]

Fine his drop off was just from the stress of being a MLB catcher(HA) my bad. His defense for the Sox was horrific, his offense....gee here's some numbers .215 OBP, .270 SLG. Poor Rule 5 Draft pick Adam Stern got traded for that???

I don't give the slightest crap who uses steroids or not they all can, for all I care, but Javy Lopez was a doper, period.

[ArodSucksAtLife]

I hate commas.

[russell]

SLG is usally the biggest sign of strenth increse in a batters swing. When Canseco reportly started using steriods his slugging jumpeed from .470 to .569. Steriods can obivious only be getten through connection like balco and We all know canseco was the biggest connection of them all. So following Canseco which of his teamates got the biggest raise in SLG? Dave Henderson who was career injury prone player who SLG .400 the year before SLG .525 in 88 and hit 20 or more the 3 out 4 of year afterwards. Juan Gonazalez SLG Jumped from .479, .529 , .632. Mo Vaughn is weird case cause his SLG was always high but the year canseco join the red Sox was the same year he add an extra 13 hrs and then hitting 44 hrs the next year.Carlos Delgado his SLG raised from.528 to .592 and he hit an additional 8 hrs and then 44 and 41 the next two seasons. Shawn Green jumped from .469 to .510 to .588 his hrs jumped from 16 to 35 to 45. Fred Mcgriff who hadnt had a productive season since 94 in 99 he SLG from .443 to .552 and he hit from 19 to 32 hrs. Jorge Posada who has always been suprisely strong for a cather got his late season serge when canseco was traded over, SLG jumped from .401 to .527 and hrs jumped from 12 to 28. ALL these breakthrough years mysterously came when Canseco came to town and its all in the numbers check them out yourselfs.

[ArodSucksAtLife]

See all the players you named I would actually chalk up to being good players and flukiness. Which I guess aside from my spelling disqualifies me from talking about roiders. I buy Shawn Green, and Juan Gonzalez, i don't think fred mcgriff did shite, or dave henderson or mo vaugh. carlos delgado definitely didnt do crap either.

[ArodSucksAtLife]

and I KNOW IM RIGHT, damn my opinion isn't shaded by how much I like them as players or if they played for teams I like I swear.......

[plh903]

Of course Crimedog was doping. That's how he is able to guarantee Tom Emanski's system.

Every package comes with an instructional video, one of those particle boards with the strap on it to learn to field with two hands, a jump-rope, horse tranquilizers, synthetic HGH, a 55 gallon garbage can to throw the ball into, two 500 mg Advil, and a 6 oz. batting donut.

Back-to-back-to-back.

[plh903]

Russell, a lot of those players were in their early to mid-twenties and their slugging pct. increase was due in large part to a substantial increase in their batting average (Green, Gonzalez, and Delgado are all examples of one or both of these factors, just off the top of my head). Check out their IsoP if you actually want to look at that stuff, it's far more telling than straight slugging. Chill out cause those numbers aren't telling the story you think they are (for the most part).

Before you go claiming that Canseco was the shadowy figure on the grassy knoll consider two things:

1) that PEDs were readily available in almost every clubhouse, gym, and to most professional athletes at that time regardless if they knew Canseco or not.

2) Even if Canseco influenced several players to start doping, it's hardly indicative that he got to spring training in February and two months later dudes were mashing like never before. (a) Because players generally don't cycle during the season, especially first-timers, these are professional hitters we are talking about, and (b) steroid gains aren't achieved overnight, there is a lot of training that goes into getting the most out of your cycles, and generally stacking and diet and more than one cycle is needed to see results, especially gains that can be consolidated.

Anyway, thousands of baseball players have juiced. It's a complete crapshoot, and slugging doesn't have as much to do with it as you would like to think, like I mentioned before, look at Randy Velarde's career numbers.

All the conspiracy shit is great, but Canseco isn't the Pied Piper he'd like us to think he is.

[MarkStr82Hell1]

Let's set the record straight:

Admitted Users [15]
Barry Bonds - Dec. 2003
Used: Steroids - Grand Jury
Ken Caminiti - May 2002
Used: Steroids - Sports Illustrated
Jose Canseco - Feb. 2005
Used: Steroids & hGH - Juiced
Paxton Crawford - Jun. 2006
Used: Steroids & hGH - ESPN
Bobby Estalella - Dec. 2003
Used: Steroids & hGH - Grand Jury
Jason Giambi - Dec. 2003
Used: Steroids & hGH - Grand Jury
Jeremy Giambi - Dec. 2003
Used: Steroids & hGH - Grand Jury
Jason Grimsley - Jun. 2006
Used: Steroids & hGH - IRS
Tom House - May 2005
Used: Steroids - SF Chronicle
Wally Joyner - Nov. 2005
Used: Steroids to ESPN
Jim Leyritz - Jun. 2006
Used: hGH - New York Post
Armando Rios - Dec. 2003
Used: Steroids & hGH - Grand Jury
Benito Santiago - Dec. 2003
Used: Steroids & hGH - Grand Jury
David Segui - June 2006
Used: hGH - ESPN
Gary Sheffield - Dec. 2003
Used: Steroids - Grand Jury
Implicated Users [19]
Mark McGwire - May 1992
Used: Steroids
Source: FBI Investigation
Manny Alexander - Jul. 2000
Used: Steroids
Source: Police Investigation
Chuck Finley - May 2002
Used: Steroids
Source: Divorce Proceedings
Marvin Bernard - Dec. 2003
Used: Steroids
Source: BALCO Grand Jury
Randy Velarde - Dec. 2003
Used: Steroids
Source: BALCO Grand Jury
Wilson Alvarez - Feb. 2005
Used: Steroids
Source: 'Juiced' by Jose Canseco
Bret Boone - Feb. 2005
Used: Steroids
Source: 'Juiced' by Jose Canseco
Ozzie Canseco - Feb. 2005
Used: Steroids
Source: 'Juiced' by Jose Canseco
Juan Gonzalez - Feb. 2005
Used: Steroids & hGH
Source: 'Juiced' by Jose Canseco
Dave Martinez - Feb. 2005
Used: Steroids
Source: 'Juiced' by Jose Canseco
Ivan Rodriguez - Feb. 2005
Used: Steroids & hGH
Source: 'Juiced' by Jose Canseco
Tony Saunders - Feb. 2005
Used: Steroids & hGH
Source: 'Juiced' by Jose Canseco
Miguel Tejada - Feb. 2005
Used: Steroids
Source: Juiced, Palmeiro, Grimsley
Lenny Dykstra - Apr. 2005
Used: Steroids & hGH
Source: Civil Suit & ESPN Report
Dave Hollins - Nov. 2005
Used: Steroids
Source: ESPN Report: Who Knew?
Roger Clemens - Sept.. 2006
Used: 'Performance-Enhancing Drugs'
Source: Los Angeles Times
Andy Pettitte - Sept. 2006
Used: 'Performance-Enhancing Drugs'
Source: Los Angeles Times
Brian Roberts - Sept. 2006
Used: Steroids
Source: Los Angeles Times
Jay Gibbons - Sept. 2006
Used: Steroids
Source: Los Angeles Times
MLB Positive Tests [14]
Alex Sanchez - April 3, 2005
Excuse: legal supplements
Jorge Piedra - April 11, 2005
Excuse: painkillers
Agustin Montero - April 20, 2005
Excuse: legally prescribed medicine
Jamal Strong - April 26, 2005
Excuse: none
Juan Rincon - May 2, 2005
Excuse: 'never knowingly'
Rafael Betancourt - July 8, 2005
Excuse: legal anti-inflamatory
Rafael Palmeiro - August 1, 2005
Used: Stanozolol
Ryan Franklin - August 2, 2005
Excuse: 'a flaw in the system'
Mike Morse - September 7, 2005
Excuse: remnants from 2003
Carlos Almanzar - Oct.4, 2005
Excuse: none
Felix Heredia - Oct.18, 2005
Excuse: none
Matt Lawton - Nov. 2, 2005
Used: Boldenone Undecylenate
Yusaku Iriki - Apr. 28, 2006
Excuse: None
Guillermo Mota - Nov. 1, 2006
Excuse: None

[darkstar1661]

Yeah, its hard to look at just one hit being added to a team and say 'look what others did around him' to prove anything. Jose was also saying as much as 1/2 the league was using wasn't he, and he didn't play on the same team as everyone.

As far as the names mentioned its really tough to tell. Hendo could have seen the jump because of going to a good team and hitting in a good spot in the order. Mo V, JuanGone and Delgado were all feared power hitters before Canseco came aboard. McGriff is an intreating case and could have ended up using to increase his numbers but we don't know. I think it is safe to assume Green used, but again speculation. Out of everyone Green and Gonzalez are probably the most likely, but Juan was one of the most vocal against using (along with the BigHurt) and had offered to be tested many times before to set the record straight.

Also, off the list that Mark posted you will notice that there are quite a few guys who did not have big SLG increases and a good chunk of the people who have gotten caught have been pitchers. Only the 'admitted users' group really has power hitters, and most of them only did so because they had to for the grand jury.

Like PLH said, Canseco did not supply the world with the drug, its been rumored in baseball back to the 70s and he had to get started himself somewhere... I don't doubt that he introduced a couple players to them, but by the time he left Oakland he was already considered somewhat of a joke and its hard to thing many stars would be interested in what he had to offer.

Also, thnanks for the list Mark, is it from a site keeping track or did you compile it yourself? If it is from a site did they also list the minor league violations?

[MarkStr82Hell1]

Thanks, Darkstar. Yes, it is from a website.
Here ya go:
http://thesteroidera.blogspot.com/

[russell]

Notice how I never said any of those guys used steriods. I was just connecting the dots to an obviuos steriod user. Alot of thing could of boosted their SLG is just weird that they all just came with Canseco got into the fold. Many other things could of been factors like hitting with Canseco and seeing better pitches. The reason i didnt name McGuire cuz it is obviuos of the boost. I just wanted to put new names out there.

[pinetarhand]

Adrian Beltre, Derek Lee, Lance Berkman, Derek Jeter & Mike Lowell all fit your steroid mold of huge upgrades in SLG%. Beltre's was much more drastic than Lopez's. I don't assume to think that a player doesn't use roids anymore since Palmeiro was found out (he was a real surprise to me), but I'd doubt that all these players use steroids.

Juan Gone is definitely not a new name to the roids controversy. I read an article about him about a year ago where a reporter was trying to do an interview with him while he was in Texas. He was waiting at his locker when Gonzalez walked up & proceeded to cover his entire body in baby oil. The reporter talked about how he had the worst acne he had ever seen on a player's back. It's a shame too. I really liked Igor when he first came up. He worked hard but always had back problems. I've never seen a more powerful swing than his. I remember trying to copy his stance & everything when I was young.

It's not ignorant to propose that a player may have taken roids since many have that we'll never know about, but it is ignorant to say you know for sure without any kind of evidence to back you up. Is every player that had 1 very good year an automatic steroid user?

[darkstar1661]

You know, I just remembered something about Gonzalez where it was pretty much proven that he did use in 2002 atleast - I guess his vocal against it was probably a con.

I'm an Indians fan and remember not too long ago it came out that customs seased a bag off a team flight from Toronto. The bag had no Indians identification and since we had seen the 9-11 attacks recently it was searched. They found it full of steriods and supplies and it was traced back to someone in Juans party who was a trainer or something. 2002 was of course the JuanGone comeback tour where he had an MVP stats across the board. From what I remember it was late in the season and the Indians didn't do anything other than just not try to resign him...

I'll see if I have the link somewhere, in the meantime anyone else remember anything about this? With regard to my previous post though, please disregard my thinking he may be clean - brain fart I think they call those...

[darkstar1661]

pinetar,

I think Adrian Beltre, Lance Berkman & Mike Lowell are very good canidates for users. Infact on the link Mark provided they rundown some of the most unusual increases in players numbers leading up to a contract year and Beltre was #2 behind only Brady Anderson. They state his OBP rose over .200 that year then dropped over .200 the next which happened to also be the first year of testing...

Its a pretty intreating write up, they state facts and let you conclude for yourself, but some are hard to argue against. It was really facinating about Kevin Brown who I guess has had the biggest increase of production from one year to the next of anyone ever and he sustained it for about there years. His ERA I guess dropped over 2 full runs in one year and what was a slightly plus pitcher became the most dominate in the game.

[darkstar1661]

Err... Should have been Beltre's SLG rose and fell .200 not OBP... My brain is really farty today...

[russell]

How about these stats Before testing and after?
Jim Edmonds SLG .643 to .533 and hr drop off from 42 to 29 (he got injure the next season).
Todd Helton SLG .620 to .534 to .476 and hrs 32 to 20 to 15 (He has been most effective by the Humifier on Coors Feild).
Jeromy Burnitz .559 to .435 and 37 hrs to 24.
Aaron Rowand .544 to .407 and hrs24 to 13.
Brad Wilkerson SLG .498 to .405 and 32 hrs to 15.
Steve Finley .491 to .374 and 36 hrs to 12 (thats year he got traded to the dodgers and Beltre Brokeout)
Mike Lowell SLG .505 to .360 as well as 27 hrs to 8 ( he did regain some of his form but his was still .475)
These were also Phil Nevins, Richard Hildagos,Sammy Sosa, Javy Lopez, Eurbiel Durazo, Juan Uribe, Keith Ginter and etc last productive years with the bat.

[russell]

Im not sayin any of these guys used steriods but they have had majors dropoff since testing some of these guys cant even make a major league team anymore. There dropoff could of also been from age but thats for you to decide.