Bucs Sign Javier Lopez

by David Todd on Dec 18, 2009 6:00 PM EST

Lopez is a sidearming lefty reliever who was excellent for Boston in 2006-2008. Low WHIP and HR rate, but also low strikeout rate and high walk rate. In Boston's pen he was the quintessential LOOGY, but may be asked to do a little more with the Bucs.

This is not the typical power arm that NH has been acquiring of late and from that perspective I like the different look that he brings to the pen.

Terms to follow.

UPDATE by Charlie: Cool. I highlighted Lopez as one of the more interesting minor league free agents this winter. He's not terribly old and he was very effective from 2006-2008, so the $775,000 plus incentives the Pirates will pay him looks like a great gamble. He has his flaws (in particular a not-so-great K:BB ratio), but he'll benefit from a move to the easier league, and as a lefty who's very effective against lefties, he fills an obvious need.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.

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aw chyea

i like this alot. we needed a reliever and he is better than what we’ve had the past couple years for sure.

lovers salavate. broken hearts tesselate tonight.

by omar moreno on Dec 18, 2009 6:02 PM EST reply actions

Update:

It’s a one year deal, but the money hasn’t been disclosed yet. He made $1.35 million last year with Boston. Spent most of the season in Pawtucket after he passed thru waivers. My guess would be something in the neighborhood of $800K-$1 million.

by David Todd on Dec 18, 2009 6:08 PM EST reply actions

Update 2:

Contract is for $775,000 with $550,000 in incentive bonuses.

by David Todd on Dec 18, 2009 6:16 PM EST reply actions

Sounds good

Assuming the incentives aren’t too achievable – in a bullpen like ours, even a pretty crummy pitcher can reach 40 appearances. I’d hate to pay $1.3M for 40 mediocre innings.

by JRoth95 on Dec 18, 2009 6:19 PM EST up reply actions

If he pitches......

like he did in Boston in 2006-2008 he’s going to make all the appearance incentives. I’m guessing he gets $100k bonus for every ten appearances starting with 30. So, if he makes 70 appearances he probably hits the full amount. I don’t have a problem paying a guy $1.3 for 70 appearances and 50 or so innings. We won’t use him 70 times if he’s terrible (I assume).

by David Todd on Dec 18, 2009 6:40 PM EST up reply actions

Right

I saw the terms after I posted that, and I think they’re just right – 30 appearances indicates he’s not a bum, and 70 indicates that he’s pitching at least $1.3M worth.

Great signing.

by JRoth95 on Dec 20, 2009 12:43 PM EST up reply actions

No complaints

In fact – knowing nothing more about Lopez than what’s in the post – what I like about this deal is that, unlike a lot of NH’s bullpen acquisitions, it’s not predicated on a player either doing something he hasn’t before (a fireballer suddenly discovering the strike zone and/or an offspeed pitch) or a once-promising but never-accomplished guy returning to the form that was predicted for him once in the past.

The way I’m reading Lopez, at best he’ll be a nice mid-to-high leverage piece; at worst he’ll be a decently effective LOOGY for pretty cheap. My biggest concern is that, if he returns to form, he probably gets pricey quick. Not that I want him signed to a multiyear contract; just that, in my best case scenario, he’ll almost surely leave after this season, as he’d probably get $2+M and NH (probably rightly) won’t pay it.

by JRoth95 on Dec 18, 2009 6:16 PM EST reply actions

If he can show himself to be as good or better than Grabow

Then he might pay over $2M. We’ll see how he does.

by MarkInDallas on Dec 18, 2009 7:17 PM EST up reply actions

LOOGY or not?

His ’08 numbers say yes, but his ’07 and ’06 seasons he posted better numbers vs RHB.

vs RHB

2008 .311/.362/.453

2007 .176/.296/.265

2006 .208/.333/.417

vs LHB

2008 .182/.305/.282

2007 .293/.366/.439

2006 .250/.385/.281

by Brakeman8 on Dec 18, 2009 6:22 PM EST reply actions

I like it. Lopez isn’t great, but he’s a legitimate Major Leaguer who isn’t expensive.

by Suffering Buc on Dec 18, 2009 6:51 PM EST reply actions

I’m a Sox fan so I’ve seen him a bunch……I couldn’t stand Lopez. He was always brought in to do one thing, to get a lefty out, and rarely seemed to do that one thing. It seemed like every game he entered went as follows: he’d come into the game with one out and a runner on first and a lefty at the plate….he’d walk the lefty and would be replaced immediately, then somebody else would clean up his mistake.

He’s cheap, though, and with the state of the Pirates bullpen, it’s an upgrade. I’d love to see him pull it together to provide the Bucs some stability.

by Dorn on Dec 18, 2009 9:11 PM EST reply actions

Another Sox fan here… Lopez was always the last man in the Sox’s bullpen and always Sox fans’ most frustrating pitcher. Do not pay attention to his shiny ERA number because it’s indicative of nothing. As Dorn says, he’d be brought in to face a tough lefty, give up a walk, get an out, then a hit, maybe get another out, and then be pulled. It sure seemed like he never did his job. He was no better in Pawtucket either.

He can be good for some quality mop-up innings though, and he’s a very intelligent guy. Great interview subject, really crappy pitcher.

by AdamHyzdu on Dec 19, 2009 11:47 AM EST up reply actions

Institutionally...

…the Pirates prefer lefties who can be left in the game against RHB without being totally helpless. Maybe they think that he’ll be able to pitch out of jams even if he walks the first batter he faces.

by Vlad on Dec 19, 2009 1:12 PM EST up reply actions

"really crappy pitcher"

Most of our pen is terribly s***ty, so “really crappy” is an upgrade.

by bucdaddy on Dec 19, 2009 1:50 PM EST up reply actions

Well, if he walks batters then, he’ll fit right in here. :-)

by phil79 on Dec 19, 2009 1:05 AM EST reply actions

Like Charlie, I’m not thrilled by his terrible strikeout and walk issues, which would seem to make his 06-06 ERA look like smoke and mirrors. But, I suppose he is worth a flier after all.

by Adam Reynolds on Dec 20, 2009 1:15 AM EST reply actions