Snakes Shake Lopez To Brewers
The Diamondbacks today unloaded Felipe Lopez, a player who came to symbolize the gap between talent and performance on the 2009 club. Lopez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a pair of low-ceiling prospects -- outfielder Cole Gillespie and right-handed reliever Roque Mercedes. The move is as much a dump of salary as of bad karma.
Lopez made undeniable offensive contributions in his half-season in Arizona colors. His two home runs on Opening Day -- one from each side of the plate -- provided hope that the Diamondbacks had found a worthy replacement at second base for Orlando Hudson. While Lopez proved not to be an especially powerful hitter, his .301 batting average and .364 on-base percentage led the team through 92 games.
But Lopez's contributions on offense were overshadowed by his sloppy and often thoughtless efforts in the field and on the base-paths. Despite above-average range and a strong arm, Lopez often muffed the balls he reached. His nine errors to date rank third-worst among Major League regulars at his position. Good speed was negated by a failure to react to game situations once he reached base. In those respects, Lopez could not have been a positive influence on his young Diamondbacks teammates.
Of the prospects acquired in return, Gillespie is nearly ready to contribute, although his long-term potential is limited. He batted .281 / .386 / .472 with 38 doubles and 14 HR for AA Huntsville in 2008. His 2009 numbers at AAA Nashville were .242 / .332 / .424. The 25-year old's Major League role is likely as a fourth outfielder, as he lacks the speed for center field, the arm for right and the power to be a regular in left. There's probably a place for him on the depleted Arizona bench, but he's not a player to get excited about.
Somewhat more interesting is Mercedes, a 22-year old who has recorded 45 strikeouts against 15 walks in 41.2 innings at A+ Brevard County. He has yet to surrender a home run and boasts a 1.08 ERA on the year. Scouting reports indicate a low- to mid-90s fastball and work-in-progress breaking stuff. After starting 13 games last season, Mercedes has worked exclusively in relief in 2009. With the bullpen among the Diamondbacks' glaring weaknesses, Mercedes may be ready to help as soon as next season.
In the short term, Augie Ojeda and Ryan Roberts appear to be the in-house options to replace Lopez at the keystone. Gerardo Parra, whose contact skills and speed most approximate Lopez's, is the likely candidate to lead-off the Diamondbacks line-up.
1 responses to this Post, with 1 unique participants
Makes Sense
All things considered, I do not see why the Diamondbacks would not want to retool at this point. Lopez had a 1 year deal so getting something back for the future is definitely worth it here.