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Felipe Lopez

Felipe Lopez Signs With Cardinals

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The Cardinals announced yesterday evening that they have signed infielder Felipe Lopez for the remainder of the season.  The Nationals released him on Thursday.  The Cardinals will use Lopez as a utility infielder and occasional outfielder.

Lopez, 28, hit .234/.305/.314 this year in 363 plate appearances.  He had a similar season in ’07.  He banged out 23 home runs in ’05, which apparently was his career year.  The Scott Boras client is earning $4.9MM this year, most of which the Nationals will cover.

Week in Review: 7/27 – 8/2

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We saw the non-waiver trade deadline come and go this week, and plenty of action to go along with it. Let’s recap the big moves of the week:

  • The Dodgers, Pirates, and Red Sox completed a three-team, blockbuster trade that sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles, Jason Bay to Boston, and Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Craig Hansen, and Brandon Moss to Pittsburgh. The Pirates got a pretty nice haul, and while Bay won’t necessarily replace Manny’s production, he’s much more affordable, signed through ’09, and doesn’t disrupt the clubhouse. The Dodgers add the big bat they need for a push in the NL West, though are now overloaded with overpaid outfielders. All in all, I don’t think any team made a bad deal in this one.
  • The Angels made a big move in adding Mark Teixeira to their lineup, sending Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek to Atlanta in exchange. The Angels didn’t need help at the time – they’re running away with the AL West – but this move will undoubtedly be significant in the postseason. Great boost to the Halos’ lineup.
  • The White Sox and Reds completed a trade that sent Ken Griffey Jr. to Chicago in exchange for Nick Masset and Danny Richar. I don’t understand this trade from the Sox perspective. Griffey was only hitting .245 at the time of the trade, and his range in center field isn’t close to what it once was. Still, he’s a presence in both the lineup and the clubhouse. Will playing for a contender rejuvenate him?
  • The Yankees acquired future hall-of-famer Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers in exchange for Kyle Farnsworth. With Jorge Posada out for the season, New York did a good job of solidifying their catcher’s spot, while the Tigers got some much-needed improvement in their bullpen.
  • The Twins aren’t known for making big trades at the deadline, and they held true to that in 2008. However, they made a move that could be bigger than any trade they might have made, when they designated Livan Hernandez for assignment, and recalled Francisco Liriano from Triple-A Rochester. The Twins DFA’ed Craig Monroe as well. The Rockies are looking for a fifth starter, and could have interest in Hernandez.
  • Relievers on the move: Arthur Rhodes was traded to the Marlins, giving them another effective lefty option in the bullpen. The Astros acquired LaTroy Hawkins, still buying despite being 9.5 games out of the wildcard race at the time.
  • The Nationals released Paul Lo Duca and Felipe Lopez. Both were highly unsuccessful this season, though they could generate interest from other teams.
  • Tim explained the rules behind waiver trades for those who are unfamiliar with how the process works after the July 31st non-waiver deadline. He also takes a look at some noteable names who stayed put at the deadline.
  • Minor moves: The Yankees signed Victor Zambrano to a minor league contract, while the Red Sox did the same with former Cleveland closer Joe Borowski.
  • The Diamondbacks are talking extension with their second ace, Dan Haren.
  • USA Today wrote an article on MLBTR. Check it out!

Nationals Release Lo Duca, Lopez

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The Washington Post is reporting that the Nationals released both Paul Lo Duca and Felipe Lopez following tonight’s game. The move was made to free-up space on the roster for Elijah Dukes and Emilio Bonifacio.

Lo Duca was hitting .230/.301/.281 in 139 at bats this season and made $5MM on a one-year deal. Lopez was hitting .231/.303/.309 in 324 at bats and was in his final arbitration-eligible season, making $4.9MM.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Rockies Rumors: Fuentes, Redding, Fogg, Byrd

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1:38pm: Jayson Stark says Fuentes is staying put.  A little more than an hour left til the deadline.

9:33am: Mark Zuckerman of the Washington Times says the Nationals are leaning toward keeping Redding, and have even had preliminary extension talks with him.  Trades of Paul Lo Duca, Odalis Perez, and Felipe Lopez are also unlikely.

THURSDAY, 8:31am: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post indicates the Rockies want to keep Fuentes.  He says they’re looking at starters such as Tim Redding, Josh Fogg, and Paul Byrd.  Redding’s stock dropped last night with an ugly start.

WEDNESDAY, 9:12pm: On Sunday, Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd termed a Brian Fuentes trade "highly unlikely."  However, ESPN’s Jayson Stark says the Rockies will decide late tonight whether to put Fuentes on the market.  The Mets, Phillies, and Rays are out given the high asking price.

Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier that the Rockies were "poking around" with interested parties, still asking for a young MLB starting pitcher or two good prospects.

Odds and Ends: Mets, Tigers, Rays, Nats

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Tying up loose ends before lunch:

Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Comments? Rumors? alexo05 [at] umpbump [daught] com.

Week In Review

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Continuing with Tim’s new tradition, here’s my take on some of the top rumors of the week from June 29 – July 6:

  • The C.C. Sabathia sweepstakes is nearing an end, with the Brewers’ Matt LaPorta package being the frontrunner. We’ll let everyone know the full story as soon as possible.
  • The Phillies extended Brad Lidge to a three-year contract. Lidge looks like his old self – great deal for Philadelphia. Looks like this means Brett Myers will remain in the rotation if he can get back on track.
  • We heard a lot about the Rays’ growing interest for Colorado closer Brian Fuentes. They could be preparing an offer. Troy Percival has been good, but injury prone, and you almost hate to move Dan Wheeler from the eighth inning where he’s been so good all year.
  • The shortstop market is hot, as the Dodgers, Orioles, and Jays would all like to upgrade. The Dodgers are interested in Jack Wilson, while the Orioles are looking at David Eckstein and possibly Juan Uribe or Felipe Lopez. The Jays could look to move A.J. Burnett and his contract for an upgrade there as well. Interesting that Toronto wants an upgrade over Eckstein, while Baltimore looks at him as an upgrade…
  • The Indians finally cut Joe Borowski loose, designating him for assignment. Was this too little too late? They tried to sneak Craig Breslow through waivers earlier this year. I’m guessing they’d rather have the 1.42 ERA he’s posted this season than Borowski’s 7.56, but the Twins are enjoying Breslow’s benefits.
  • Could the Angels add Matt Holliday? Seems unlikely with the stockpile of large contracts they already have in their outfield if you ask me.
  • The A’s signed Michel Inoa for $4.25MM on Thursday.
  • The Padres will be sellers this July. The onslaught of injuries have made this a frustrating season for San Diego. If you’d been able to see Adrian Gonzalez’s monster numbers through July 1 before the season started, who would’ve believed this team wasn’t contending? Wow.
  • For those who are interested, Tim looked at this past years’ offseason moves and compiled an All-Star lineup of free agent hitters signed prior to the 2008 season. That’d be a heck of a team to try to beat right now…

Olney Rumor Bag: Eckstein, Teixeira

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Another Saturday, another edition of Buster Olney’s weekly blog; along-side the deafening Sabathia discussions, we find some hidden gems:

According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles are pondering making a deal for David Eckstein. The Blue Jays have a well-stocked infield that has made the veteran short stop and former World Series MVP expendable. 

The Orioles have also been inquiring about Juan Uribe of the White Sox and Felipe Lopez of the Nationals.

Mark Bradley of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution thinks the Braves should trade Mark Teixera. Although some veteran leaders think the team is still in the division race, the Bravos do sit 7 games behind Philadelphia and have been hampered by injury all year.

Teixeira signed a one year-deal in January and can become a free agent next year, but he would prefer not to be traded this year.   

Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Rumors? Comments? Email me alexo05 (at) umpbump (dot) com.

Orioles Interested In Felipe Lopez

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12:37pm: Ken Rosenthal says the O’s "have engaged in substantive conversations" to acquire Lopez.  The likely return: just a marginal prospect.

9:49am: According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles have intensified their hunt for a starting shortstop.

Zrebiec runs through some options and suggests Felipe Lopez would make sense.  The O’s have scouted him before.  Jim Bowden’s asking price shouldn’t be too high – Lopez becomes a free agent after the season and hasn’t hit well for years.

Here’s a look at our shortstop market post.  One player I omitted from there who has been connected to the Orioles in the past is Juan Uribe. 

Could Cubs Switch From Roberts To López?

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Nationals infielder Felipe López has been adamant about being their starting second baseman, but word out of National’s camp is that Ronnie Belliard is their guy at second. López has played some short this spring, but Cristian Guzman has that position locked up, which all but ensures López a backup role and a warm seat in the bench.

López isn’t too happy about that, but will he demand a trade? The Nats’ front office says it won’t be forced into making a deal.   However, according to the Washington Post, the Nats are indeed actively shopping López.  The Cubs had scouts in the seats for Friday’s game.

As you’re more than aware, the Cubs have been in constant discussions with the Orioles about Brian Roberts, but both teams are far from reaching a deal.  It’s possible the Cubs are considering Plan B.

Alejandro Leal writes for umpbump.com. He can be reached here.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Loretta, Ensberg, Lopez, Ring

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Ken Rosenthal has some Spring Training odds and ends this morning.

  • Rosenthal adds Mark Loretta as a possible third base acquisition for the Dodgers.  Given their desire for a relatively affordable guy who can also handle second, Rosenthal has linked them to Ron Belliard and Esteban German previously.  Loretta shouldn’t be too hard to pry away from the Astros.  Though he can’t play second, Morgan Ensberg could be an option if the Yankees let him leave.
  • The Nats are shopping Felipe Lopez, who’s said he wouldn’t be content on the bench.  Rosenthal says the Nationals have their eye on awful shortstop Angel Berroa as a possible replacement, which is strange on multiple levels.  Not only is Berroa not a Major Leaguer at this point, but the Nats plan to use Cristian Guzman at short.
  • Royce Ring is said to be "perhaps the most available of the Braves’ out of options relievers."  Who needs a lefty?
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