The Minnesota Twins have made a savvy business move.
There is no official announcement yet, but they are just about to finalize a four-year extension with one of their best pitchers, Pablo Lopez.
The deal is reportedly worth about $73.5 million.
The Minnesota Twins and Pablo Lopez are finalizing a 4-year contract extension, per @CraigMish pic.twitter.com/V8jrpvZIuI
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 17, 2023
The 27-year-old right-hander has been one of the best pitchers in MLB this season.
He has a 1.73 ERA in 26 frames, coupled with a league-leading 33 strikeouts.
The bump in strikeouts can be attributed to two factors: increased velocity (almost two mph in comparison to 2022) and a new pitch, the sweeper, which has helped him miss more bats and given him one more weapon against right-handers.
Lopez has impressed everyone in the league since coming over from Miami, and has now earned a nice payday.
People, of course, voiced their opinions of the deal on Twitter.
Big payday for a great person and player. Really happy for Pablo. So far, one of the rare trades that both franchises and fan bases are happy about.
— Knox Harrington (@KH954) April 17, 2023
So happy for that guy!
— Henry Alexander (@ohhenryboy) April 17, 2023
The feeling, however, is that Lopez could have gotten a bit more money.
This is a great deal for the Twins. As a Jays fan I was hoping they would acquire him. Good price point
— Free Speech is everything ⚾️🥃 🇺🇦 (@yergen) April 17, 2023
Considering what it took to sign some free agents this past offseason, one can’t help but wonder if Lopez would have been better off waiting until hitting the market after the 2024 campaign.
Still, it’s hard to blame him because the life of a pitcher can take unexpected, painful turns.
What if he blows up his elbow or shoulder before hitting the market?
He decided to take the guaranteed money and keep focusing on his dominant season.
The work he did over the offseason unlocked a whole new level for him.
His fastball went from a good pitch to a legit weapon.
He can now dial it up to 97 mph if he wants, and it has that killer rising effect:
Pablo López, 97mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/ANdZ0xJe3l
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 16, 2023
This represents a very nice investment by the Twins, who now have an ace for at least the next four seasons.
NEXT:
Twins Closing In On Extension With Budding Ace
