FRIDAY, 12:25pm: Lopez already signed a $3.6MM deal for 2011, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). That's a $1.3MM raise from the $2.3MM salary he earned in 2010.
THURSDAY, 9:35pm: The Rockies acquired Jose Lopez from the Mariners for right-hander Chaz Roe, according to Shannon Drayer of ESPN 710 in Seattle (on Twitter). The Mariners have confirmed the move.
"Chaz is a former first-round pick with a nice arm, a 24-year-old sinker ball pitcher," GM Jack Zduriencik said in a press release. "We look forward to seeing him in a Mariners uniform."
It appeared that the Mariners were going to non-tender Lopez, so they did well to get something for the 27-year-old infielder. He batted .239/.270/.339 in 622 plate appearances last year and saw his homer total drop from 25 to 10. Lopez has always had trouble reaching base, as his career .297 OBP shows. He has experience at second and short, two positions the Rockies could use depth at.
Roe, 24, posted a 5.98 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 158 innings at Triple-A last year. It was his first season at Triple-A and the highest ERA of his pro career.
Chaz Roe. Great name.
Great move for the M´s, he can´t hit in Safeco and Chaz is better than nothing…
Lopez for 2nd or 3rd base
Damn, I was hoping the Dodgers would pick him up and then platoon Blake (either in LF or 1B, depending on subsequent moves).
Advocated for Ty Wigginton on the Rox…But Lopez is pretty much the same thing. Interesting move. This guy had 191 hits 3 years ago.
Easy to get 191 hits when you never draw a walk. I wouldn’t read into that too much.
I understand that, but like his former teamate Tunigma, yuni showed that you can never draw a walk AND never get a hit. Lopez on the other hand.
easy to hit 191??? come on man thats legit
Wigginton is the same thing as Lopez? If I were Ty I would be offended by that comment.
i wonder if they might shop Eric Young Jr.
I wonder if Eric Young Sr. will try to talk Towers into trading for him.
Lopez is going to be a Utility guy like Barmes was at the end of the year. EY and Herrera are going to man 2B.
Actually like the move for the Rocks. Lopez’s power will take a huge leap in a place like Coors IMO.
My thoughts exactly. He should be able to pop 25-30HRS easily. They should be prepared for less then stellar defense although he’s average I guess. Good trade for them. Definitely an upgrade at 3B. I’m glad to see the Rockies bettering themselves with FA signings, locking up young talent, and trades like these.
How the heck is that an upgrade at 3B?
Defensively he would be. Offensively, maybe not so much.
I don’t think he is likely to be the regular 3B, though. I still see Stewart getting the bulk of the time there. Lopez is likely to be the 2011 version of Mora from 2010, with the possible exception that he might push for the starting job at 2B.
Defensively he would be. Offensively, maybe not so much.
I don’t think he is likely to be the regular 3B, though. I still see Stewart getting the bulk of the time there. Lopez is likely to be the 2011 version of Mora from 2010, with the possible exception that he might push for the starting job at 2B.
25-30 HRs easily? Might I remind you of his sharp decline this season? He batted .239….. I’d rather have Mark Reynolds than Lopez, and that’s saying something, because Reynolds sucks…..
Please. In a major disappointment of a season, a year in which his BABIP dropped more than eighty points, Reynolds still managed a 2.4 WAR. He has never posted a year under 1.4 (and even that was back when he was a defensive nightmare). Lopez has put up four seasons of 0.7 WAR or worse, including a sub-replacement-level performance just three years ago.
Reynolds vs. Lopez isn’t even close. Jose Lopez is more like the second coming of Nefti Perez; Reynolds, with a likely bounceback year as his BABIP returns to its usual levels and improving field work (he was actually slightly better than average at third according to UZR!), has MVP possibilities. If Votto and Pujols take the year off, anyway…
Love for a Votto and not CarGo? I get the Pujols reference. But Votto isn’t yet the perennial MVP candidate that Pujols is… not any more than CarGo, I wouldn’t think.
Carlos’ 2010 was inflated by a (presumably) unsustainable .384 BABIP. His defense has also begun a scary deterioration for someone so young, slipping from a dynamite 20.1 UZR/150 as a rookie to a meh 5.0 in ’09 and a shocking -3.8 this past season and will likely soon find himself limited to LF (meaning a reduction in positional value that will further negatively impact his WAR).
Even if you accept that Gonzalez’ 2010 offense represents a new baseline plateau for him, keep this in mind: his wRC+ this past season is almost exactly equal to Votto’s =career= number (155 vs. 153). Best for CarGo ~= average for Votto. So, yeah, it’ll take another couple of seasons of similar or better production to convince me (and I was a Gonzalez booster during his time in the DBacks system).
Let’s not get carried away! Lopez will (at best) be platooning with Stewart at 3rd and filling in other infield spots. I doubt he would have nearly enough play time to accumulate 15 home runs, let alone 25-30.
great signing by the Rockies, JLo is only a season removed from 20 dingers in SafeCo. Move him back to third and let him lose in the thin air. The Rockies are going to be fun to watch in 2011.
It’s funny because Lopez is going to be a utility guy. People are acting like he is a key piece of our line up and he will not be. Wow. A bench player for a minor leaguer that wasn’t in our future plans. Plus had pop in Seattle. Imagine what he can do at Coors.
Stewart is our 3B and EY and Herrera are in at 2B. He will be a super utility guy like Barmes.
I would not be terribly surprised to see Lopez win the starting job at 2B.
Part of me is hoping they can trade EYJ to someone. He just can’t play 2B on a regular basis. Herrera at least makes contact and draws the occasional walk even if he can’t hit the ball with much authority. And Herrera plays better defense at 2B than EYJ, too.
This isn’t a great move, but it’s far from terrible.
I see a guy with a .254 babip in 2010 and would have to consider him a pretty decent candidate for a bounce-back season in 2011.
I think this is a great move for the Rox. Lopez could put up good numbers in Coors Field.
WHY?! WHY?!
You could have waited for him to be non-tendered… You could have gotten some one who manages to get on base… I’m left scratching my head.
They figured it would have cost more to get him as a FA. They have been interested in him for a long time. They gave up Roe who wasn’t in the near future plans for the Rox.
As a Mariners fan, I won’t miss stories of him showing up at camp out of shape (2010). Zduriencik did a great job getting anything out of Lopez who was a non-tender candidate for sure.
As for Chaz Roe, His 5.98ERA was an inflation. This is proven by his 4.36FIP. Although it came in AAA, 158IP of 4.36ERA ball isn’t bad.
Jose Lopez had an off year, but the Mariners are the worst team and no one did well. I don’t see anyone bashing Franklin Gutierrez or Chone Figgins for putting up less than usual averages. Jose is not a bench player, he started practically every game. He’s a strong hitter, and even an all star. The Mariners are going to be sorry when they see him as the MVP next year. I guess I’m moving to Colorado.
Hahahaha
Seriously, Colorado fans have no reason to be excited about this move. You just got Clint Barmes back with a lower OBP. Lopez has no “utility” value because the only position he can be utilized at properly is 3B. Terrible patience, no base running skills, no team leadership.
Enjoy.
If that 8.1 UZR he posted at 3B for Seattle in 2010 is for real then I’ll take it. He can push Ian Stewart and maybe get that young man to finally realize the potential that we all see.
When was the last time a super utility had to be the team leader?? He can play 2B and 1B along with 3B. He is the definition of a super utility, were not expecting him to do wonders for us.
If you think Lopez can “play” 2B, then you clearly have never actually watched him play.
He’s about as good at 2B as any of the guys the Rockies currently have on their roster, and he’s significantly more of a threat with the bat.
I’m still amazed at his low OBP given his 12% strikeout rate. I know his walk rate is terrible but you’d think the guy would at least be around .330 OBP.
He’s going to get plenty of time all over the infield (except SS), I suspect.
Lopez simply does not understand how to work a count. I could not possibly begin to explain the frustration of watching him repeatedly ground into a double play on a 2-0 count. He’s still relatively young, but he’s shown no interest in improving the aspects of his game that clearly need work, and that’s his biggest problem. Until any of that changes, expect him to post a line around .255/.290/.385.
In all seriousness, do you think his SLG is likely to decrease with a move from Safeco to Coors? He posted a .400 career mark playing half his games at a terrible hitter’s park and now he’s moving to a great hitter’s park. I don’t see his numbers going in the wrong direction.
His career slash line is .266/.297/.400, so I’m going to guess that his first year with the Rockies results in a .285/.320/.440 line, or basically what he put up for the Mariners in 2008.
I fully do expect his line to decrease because he’s not going to be playing each and every one of his games at Coors Field, and I expect the Rockies to have the intelligence to not be starting him over Ian Stewart. Pay attention to how out of shape Lopez has been and how terrible of a baseball player he actually is and it is not even close to being unreasonable to not expect his stats to improve by much, if at all.
You could be right. I don’t see him as a threat to Stewart at 3B at this point, though. I believe there’s a very good chance that he was obtained to be the starting 2B. I may be way off there, but that’s how I view it at the moment.
Also, one other thing to consider: Lopez is Venezuelan, and there is a very large Latin contingent on the Rockies (including a couple of other Venezuelans) who tend to feed off one another. I don’t think that’s a huge factor, but it certainly won’t hurt.
I really hope for Colorado’s sake that they don’t plug him in at second base. He is truly, unfathomable awful at the position.
I can’t help but admire your optimism about acquiring Lopez, but you will more than likely be disappointed with him by the end of the 2011 season.
I suppose that depends on how they utilize him. If he’s the utility guy around the infield (mostly at 3B and 1B) and hits a dozen HR in 400 plate appearances (totally within reason for him, in my opinion). His career splits aren’t that great vs. RHP and LHP so I can’t see him as a straight platoon with Stewart at 3B or with Helton at 1B.
And I also can’t see him being any worse at 2B than Eric Young, Jr., which baffles me because you’d think a guy with EYJ’s speed could field that position a little better than he does.
Herrera doesn’t hit the ball for much power at all, but he’s very consistent at the plate and in the field. I’m hoping he is the everyday guy at 2B for 2011 and Lopez can play a little bit of everywhere.
That said, for the Rockies a $3.6 million salary doesn’t really indicate a part-time player. That’s starter money in this organization. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Whoops, meant “unfathomably”.
Like I said, good luck with Lopez because the Rockies are one of my favorite teams after my Mariners. It’d be nice to see him succeed somewhere, but it’s difficult to expect it to happen. Lead glove and lead legs, man.
If you think Lopez can “play” 2B, then you clearly have never actually watched him play.
I think Barmes was a better player than Lopez
an infield super sub that might have a chance at 20-30 hr potential playing in the hitters park of hitters park and everyone freaks out…i wonder if this puts an end to the berkman rumors..?
Lopez essentially fills the same role that Mora did in 2010 but with a little more upside at this point in their careers.
He did post an 8.1 UZR at 3B for Seattle in 2010 (roughly 1250 innings), so that’s pretty respectable. That number would have led the Rockies by a comfortable margin. He’s also played 24 career games at 1B and posted some respectable defensive stats there so he could be the RH backup corner IF the Rockies need.
I’m really surprised with that low OBP of his that he doesn’t strike out all that often (about 12% for his career, typically about 70 times per season).
If the Rockies get either the 2008 or 2009 version of this guy then I am going to be a pretty happy camper.
As a M’s fan, good riddance. Atleast we got something for him. Probably will have success in Coors Field.
The largest outfield in baseball is a “band box”? You realize that the reason so many guys hit for good averages at Coors is that there is a LOT of room for balls to fall in play, right?
The largest outfield in baseball is a “band box”? You realize that the reason so many guys hit for good averages at Coors is that there is a LOT of room for balls to fall in play, right?
Lopez sported a .254 BABIP (career-worst since becoming a full-time starter) in 2010 and played out of shape. But amazingly, he hit better in SafeCo than he did on the road and hit well against lefties. He also played a solid third base. Take into account his modest power output and infield flexibility and you have a nice utility player.
Chaz Roe, meanwhile, is an average minor league starter. A career 4.40ish ERA with a WHIP typically around 1.26. The “former first-rounder” (that was 2005, people) has pitched in the minors for six seasons. His value as it pertains to the Rockies’ future plans is/was very low. A modest deal for both teams centered on expendable players. There isn’t much to pick apart here.
uhm. I wonder if the rockies took a plaster of Clint Barmes face and head, and they will give it to Lopez. because basically they got Barmes back.
So basically Dan O’Dowd turned Clint Barmes and Chaz Roe into Jose Lopez and Felipe Paulino.
I’d say that overall the team improved, if only slightly.
uhm. I wonder if the rockies took a plaster of Clint Barmes face and head, and they will give it to Lopez. because basically they got Barmes back.
Should be considered a wash for both sides. Lopez lost his bat when he was moved to 3rd, so everyone clamoring for the 30HRs at the corner are dreaming a little. This does give Seattle the chance to move Figgins back to 3rd and get a high OBP guy at 2nd. Power at first and in left would do wonders for this team.
It’s funny how all of you seem to think that Jose Slowpez is going to be a quality utility guy. Slowpez can play a whopping one position, with above average skill. He may give you 13-16 HR’s as an everyday player if the Rockies go that direction. In 2009, he overachieved. I promise.
He was arguably better in 2008, all around.
Either way, over the past three seasons he has posted a 93 OPS+ and per-162 averages of .270/.299/.416 with 19 HR and 86 RBI.
I think he is likely to post better overall numbers in 2011 because that .254 babip from 2010 is likely to go up fairly dramatically at Coors Field.
I hope you’re right for Lopez’s sake, but IMO the stats are misleading you. Jose looks like hot garbage at the plate. His home runs are not enough to counterweigh the awful decisions. You’ll see.
You could be absolutely correct. After watching Clint Barmes for the last handful of seasons I’m totally prepared to roll the dice with someone else, though.
Most of my hope for Lopez lies in the change from Safeco to Coors as well as a likely upward correction from that .254 babip. The previous two seasons his babip was pretty close to the norm so I am inclined to believe that he’s more of a .270-.280 hitter than a .240 one.
Jose Lopez’s GB% was 43% and his IFFB% was 9.3%. His “power” will translate very little to Coors.
How is it that he managed to hit over 40 HR between the previous two seasons playing half his games at Safeco but his power won’t translate to Coors Field?
Looking at his career numbers, isn’t it a safer bet to say that 2010 was the exception and not the rule for this guy?
If he gets 500 plate appearances for the Rockies, and depending on where he hits in the order (6th or 7th would be my guess), I could easily see him hitting 15-18 HR with 80 RBI.
2011 Version of Jose Lopez: 40 HR, 110 RBI, 45 Doubles, 2 Tripples, 75K/44BB, 320 avg. and what the hell, a gold glove.
It always happens to the Mariners. Although I do believe that this is something that did have to happen, Jose was just not made for Safeco. Unfortunately, he will probably become a All-Star, once again, and become a 3+ consecutive year Gold Glove winner in the NL. The Mariners though, are on the up… and while we’ve been considered or thought of as being the AL version of the Expos, things are getting better. So good luck Jose, and this move probably gives them a greater edge on a playoff birth then the Giants have in winning the World Series again in 2011.
Is this a joke?
People who have never watched Jose Lopez play seem to think it was Safeco Field that caused his decline.
I don’t know, it just seems funny that people who have never watched Lopez play are arguing with people who have watched him play for the past six years that it was the park that caused his bad performance, while really, he’s awful no matter where he plays.
I think the observation is that once the Mariners let go of an underperforming player, they suddenly skyrocket in effectiveness for another team.
The Mariners actually did the right thing by moving him and getting a pitcher in return. He might be the reason the M’s shortstops keep getting hurt! LOL!
He will go out to prove everyone wrong about his work ethic. That means he’ll have one good year with the Rockies and then revert to his old ways.
They only signed him for one year, so I’d be okay with that. :o)
Does this mean no Berkman? Please tell me we didnt choose Lopez over Lance. I would be very open to getting both but…
No Lance. No need for Lance, unless Helton is going to retire. Berkman cannot possibly play the outfield at Coors at this point in his career. Lopez actually makes far more sense for the Rockies at this point.
$3.6 mil? a $1.3mil raise? That sets the standard for middling dudes coming off career-worst years. I’m marching into my boss’s office right now and demanding a 57% raise.
So how did it go? Did he give you that raise?
Sure is making a lot of money.
why do people still automatically peg Coors as this hitter’s paradise?
Ditch the humidor and maybe Jose Lopez is the new Vinny Castilla (and Seth Smith the new Dante Bichette)
but then maybe Ubaldo Jiminez gives up as many jacks as JLo and Smith hit combined
The size of the outfield at Coors makes for a lot of room for balls to fall in play, and the alleys are HUGE. Lots of extra base hits at Coors that don’t necessarily clear the wall.
You will almost always find a Rockies hitter among the top handful in the NL in doubles or triples.
3.6 doesn’t sound like a utility guy’s salary to me. Would not be suprised if they move one of those young 2nd basemen. Is Ian Stewart a better defender at 2nd or 3rd? Lopez was much better at 3rd base than anyone thought he would be. Any chance Lopez plays 3rd, Stewart plays 2nd, and EY gets traded?
More likely that Stewart remains at 3B with Lopez assuming the everyday 2B role at this point.
I would be perfectly fine if they traded EYJ as well. He can run fast, but he’s not a great baserunner (not the same thing) and he isn’t a very good defender.
That would leave Herrera and Nelson as the backups around the infield with Lopez being available at 3B or 1B on days that one of those two mans 2B. I like that, to be honest.
I don’t think he’ll be worth $3.6, but I do think his numbers will be a bit better in Coors Field. He could bat .260 with 15 homers or so.
Prediction: Lopez starts at 3B, Young starts at 2B, Stewart is on the trading block or shares time with Helton at 1B. Lot depends on whether or not Rockies sign Berkman, who would either share time with Helton at 1B or move to LF and then Seth Smith becomes expendable.
I don’t see them pursuing Berkman. There’s just no way that guy can cover enough ground to play either corner OF spot at Coors Field. He also can’t hit lefties anymore so what’s the point, really?
If EYJ is the starting 2B for the Rockies in 2011 then someone will have erred, and greatly.
And I do think this Lopez trade is important to the Rockies in another way…it allows them greater freedom in using Ian Stewart as trade bait to acquire a piece (ehem Gavin Floyd ehem) in a more pressing area.
I honestly think the rotation is looking pretty good right now with Jimenez, De la Rosa, Chacin, Cook, and Hammel.
I don’t think Chacin has any more to prove in the minors after this past season when he posted a 2.98 ERA in 126.2 IP over his 21 starts. He’s ready for prime time.
I believe that Floyd was only a fall-back situation in case De la Rosa left.
And how knows what the Rockies will get out of Paulino. Though I would love to see them add another lefty-starter. They’re a little right-heavy. I was worried that de la Rosa wouldn’t sign and the entire rotation would be right-handed.
Paulino was respectable in his 14 starts for Houston last season before he was injured. Not great, but you’d think a guy who averaged 6 IP per start for those 14 starts would have had more than one win to show for it. Looking at his game logs he probably should have won at least 3-4 of those games and could have pretty easily won 7 of them.
With the current roster makeup I’m having a hard time seeing him cracking the rotation, though. He’s not as good as the other five guys they currently have. Maybe he sticks in the bullpen as the spot-starter and long-relief guy for this season and then when Cook leaves next year he can compete for a spot.
Another dumb Rockies move. Should have just let him get non-tendered by the Mariners and then sign him for less money.
Less money in an open market? I don’t know where you got that idea from.
Because it’s Jose Lopez?
You just wasted 3.6. million Colorado.
na. Jose Lopez very easily in colorado will hit 30-35 bombs. If he hits like he normally does hell hit.290-300, and he is very young and great defensive player. last year was just a bad year. the rockies are known for making young struggling bats come alive. for one example ummmmmmm. oh ya Carlos Gonzalez
na. Jose Lopez very easily in colorado will hit 30-35 bombs. If he hits like he normally does hell hit.290-300, and he is very young and great defensive player. last year was just a bad year. the rockies are known for making young struggling bats come alive. for one example ummmmmmm. oh ya Carlos Gonzalez