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Braves Sign Rodrigo Lopez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 31, 2011 at 4:05pm CDT

The Braves announced that they signed Rodrigo Lopez to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (Twitter link).

The Braves' rotation is already deep; Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens provide manager Fredi Gonzalez with four solid starters. Lopez will presumably battle with Mike Minor for a rotation spot and Kenshin Kawakami and Brandon Beachy provide Atlanta with even more options.

Lopez logged 200 innings for the Diamondbacks last year, posting a 5.00 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. The 35-year-old induced more fly balls than ground balls last year, posting a 37.6% ground ball rate. Lopez underwent Tommy John surgery in 2007 and missed time with shoulder inflammation in 2009 before recovering to start 33 games last year, the second-highest total of his career.

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Atlanta Braves Transactions Rodrigo Lopez

Brewers, Kotsay Close To Deal
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View Comments (54)
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54 Comments

  1. BG921

    14 years ago

    Ew, even at a depth move I don’t like this… Too many in house options available for the Braves to sign Lopez. Then again, Wren gave Proctor too much money when Atlanta already had in house options.

    Reply
    • csg

      14 years ago

      minor league contract…meaning if he sucks they’ll cut him

      Reply
  2. goredsgo

    14 years ago

    Nice deal. Could really be effective if the price is right

    Reply
  3. Brad

    14 years ago

    Over/Under, 25 homers allowed by Lopez.

    Reply
    • davidsonrva

      14 years ago

      yep. might as well put a tee up at home plate.

      Reply
    • Anthony

      14 years ago

      Under, he won’t give up any homers because he’s unlikely to pitch a single inning for the big-league club. Now, if the Braves don’t cut him after ST I suppose he could give up 25+ HR at the AAA level, wouldn’t shock me.

      Reply
  4. 14 Rocks

    14 years ago

    This is a puzzling addition. Did the Braves just need another AAA starter?

    Reply
  5. 14 Rocks

    14 years ago

    I also didn’t understand the Proctor signing. The Braves have Stephen Marek who was outstanding at AAA last year but they don’t seem to want to give him a chance to make the team.

    Reply
  6. Mark S

    14 years ago

    I fail to see how Lopez is a better rotation option than Kawakami, nevermind Minor or Beachy

    Reply
  7. RiverKKiller999

    14 years ago

    Minor League depth can never hurt any one.

    Reply
    • Kris Noble

      14 years ago

      Better to give a minor league starting job to a younger kid with more upside than to Lopez.

      Reply
  8. roberty

    14 years ago

    Wren figures nobody will trade for Kawakami if Lopez is available.

    Reply
    • Matt N

      14 years ago

      Exactly, and that’s a great point. Signing him to a minor league deal doesn’t really hurt you and it takes one more “innings eater” off the market to make KK seem a little more like a viable option. As we’ve seen before, there usually is a method to Wren’s madness.

      Reply
  9. BravesQueen

    14 years ago

    All I can say is…..WHY???

    Reply
  10. Anthony

    14 years ago

    Smart move, Lopez. I assume he doesn’t want to see big-league action this year? Throw 200+ horrible innings and then sign with a club that has arguably the deepest pitching in the NL?

    Reply
  11. nictonjr

    14 years ago

    Seems like Rodrigo is tired of getting pounded in the bigs. He’s probably 10th on the Braves SP depth chart…

    Reply
    • Anthony

      14 years ago

      Let’s see:

      Hanson
      Hudson
      Lowe
      Jurrjens
      Minor
      Beachy
      Teheran
      Delgado
      Medlen
      Kawakami
      Redmond
      Lopez?

      So yeah, that’s about right. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Vizcaino get the call ahead of Lopez, although he’s still a couple of years away. Lopez is just awful and if it weren’t for his ability to limit walks, he would’ve been out of the big-leagues years ago.

      Reply
  12. Richard Janvrin

    14 years ago

    I don’t see why he didn’t sign with a team like the Nats that needs SP..

    Wierd signing..

    Reply
  13. Muggi

    14 years ago

    I assume the Braves and Mets’ fans who were saying yesterday that signing Jason Grilli to a minor-league deal showed the weakness of the Phils’ pen would agree that this shows the weakness of the ATL rotation, right?

    (of course it doesn’t, but the thought is equally asinine.)

    Reply
    • bobrewer

      14 years ago

      Except Philly’s ‘pen actually is weak. Atlanta has tons of solid starters to make a formidable rotation.

      Reply
  14. Anthony

    14 years ago

    Man, I had no idea Lopez was THIS bad last year. I looked up his splits hoping to find some sort of optimism and I find this:

    Against righties: .812 OPS
    Against lefties: .856 OPS

    Home: .825 OPS
    Away: .840 OPS

    First half: .784 OPS(even with a .274 Babip)
    Second half: .900 OPS

    Worst full-time starter in the game last year?

    Reply
    • roberty

      14 years ago

      He’s gotta be the worst pitcher to throw that many innings last year, but I think Charlie Morton and Ryan Rowland-Smith were more destructive, despite pitching about half as many innings.
      Morton (-2.4 WAR)
      2-12, 7.57 ERA, 1.732 WHIP and 59 SO in 79.2 IP

      Rowland-Smith (-3.6 WAR)
      1-10, 6.75 ERA, 1.692 WHIP with 49 SO in 109.1 IP.

      Reply
  15. sourbob

    14 years ago

    I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe Lopez would have better luck away from Chase Field. But lo and behold, which park is right next to Chase on the home run factor list? You guessed it: Turner Field.

    Reply
  16. inkstainedscribe

    14 years ago

    Who knows? Lopez pitches lights-out in spring training and maybe the Braves get something for him in a deal. This is the glass-over-full view, mind you …

    Reply
    • roberty

      14 years ago

      Your glass runneth over…with wishful thinking. Way to maintain a positive attitude!

      Reply
  17. deeroll

    14 years ago

    One person liked this on Facebook… Must have been a Mets fan.

    Reply
  18. coolstorybro222

    14 years ago

    If he steals innings away from Medlen and Beachy, I’ll be dissapponted

    Reply
    • Chris

      14 years ago

      how can one steal innings from a guy recovering from TJ surgery?

      Reply
  19. TDKnies

    14 years ago

    Gag. Depth signing, not going to pitch for the big club, etc. I get it. But can someone with his numbers even be considered depth?

    Reply
  20. jhey_chosen1

    14 years ago

    honestly i think this is just Frank building up some “major league ready” talent to put in a package deal for a cf/leadoff. you know that even if a guys numbers are terrible (lopez) the fact that he has major league innings makes him more attractive than a totally unproven prospect in a trade package

    Reply
    • Kevin

      14 years ago

      good way to look at it, although i doubt Lopez even makes the team period

      Reply
      • jhey_chosen1

        14 years ago

        yeah i dont think he will, we’ll just bring him down to spring training for a few days and hopefully he’ll be off or hands once he proves he still has a pulse

        Reply
  21. braves808

    14 years ago

    Yes! this is what we needed. We got Rodrigo Lopez, i’d take him over Roy Oswalt anyday

    Reply
  22. bobrewer

    14 years ago

    The Braves are simply signing any FA reserve starters so that teams must bid for Kawakami rather than signing a guy like Lopez on the cheap if they want a cheap reserve starter.

    Reply
    • jhey_chosen1

      14 years ago

      theres got to be a market for kk. im sure a team like the royals/dbacks? hopefully frank has heard some offers and is just being picky til these teams get desperate and up the bid a little

      Reply
      • bobrewer

        14 years ago

        Well, there’s definitely more of a market for KK now that FW has hoarded Lopez on the cheap. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him start pawning off guys like KK and Beachy when the time comes that guys like Medlen/Teheran/Delgado are ready.

        Reply
  23. EcurbTheMighty

    14 years ago

    I can see the genius in it…sign him and let him be an example to all the young arms we have on what NOT to do to get to the Majors.

    Reply
  24. Bryan Schroeder

    14 years ago

    Weird thing is . . . dude had 15 quality starts last year.

    Reply
  25. BraveNewWorld

    14 years ago

    Cy Young candidate next season…

    Reply
  26. Braves1976

    14 years ago

    I’m okay with depth minor league signings like this one. But I still say what Arizona is doing with Micah Owings made better sense for us.

    Reply
    • xNobleEaglex

      14 years ago

      I hear ya…at least Owings HITS homeruns to make up for the ones he gives up!

      Reply
  27. Brian Harps

    14 years ago

    maybe they signed Lopez to show the young kids what NOT to do when you pitch…only thing that makes any sense at all

    Reply
  28. jmag043

    14 years ago

    I would have figured Lopez would have gotten some sort of major league deal from a team looking for 200 league average innings

    Reply
  29. Michael Blakely

    14 years ago

    Jair and Hanson are in the ATL until it’s time for them to get rich. Won’t be in the ATL. Hanson has not exactly been a world-beater yet. Jair is very good and should have a much better 2011. The Braves need bats in the outfield, especially CF.

    Reply

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