So after we get home from a local Urgent Care I see on Twitter that the Miami Marlins have traded right-hander Pablo Lopez, top infield prospect Jose Salas and outfield prospect Byron Chourio to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for reigning AL batting champion and Silver Slugger winner Luis Arraez, per announcements from both clubs.
It has been evident of late that the Twins and Marlins were talking about a trade of Pablo Lopez so this is not a shocker by any means but to be honest I was hoping that the Twins center-piece of the trade would be Max Kepler versus Luis Arraez. I know that Kepler alone for Lopez would not probably be enough but I think the Twins could have sweetened the pot a bit.
I really like Luis Arraez and I will miss watching him play. He enjoys the game and for me no Twins player is as much fun to watch in the batters box as he was. I really think that the Twins will miss him more than they know, they need his kind of bat in the lead-off spot even though he is not the prototypical lead-off hitter. I think the ban of the shift will also benefit Arraez more than the average hitter. Arraez has his flaws of course like every player, he does not walk as much as you would like but then again how many regulars in the big leagues get more walks than strikeouts? My biggest concern with Arraez has always been is how long his knees will hold up? Defense is also not his strength but he played some pretty nice first base for Minnesota considering it was a new position for him. Maybe the Twins didn’t trade Arraez at peak value but it is always smarter to trade someone a year or two too early versus a year or two too late.
Pablo Lopez is a pitcher the Twins wanted and they found a way to get him without giving up any prospects. Plus the Twins got a couple of prospects coming their way so that is always nice. I have not seen Lopez pitch that much as the Marlins were not a team I really followed very closely. But in looking at his numbers there is a lot to like, at least for me. 32 starts and 180 innings is way more than any Twins starter has had since Jose Berrios did it in 2019. But my favorite thing about Pablo Lopez is that he had never had more hits allowed than innings pitched. Throw in the fact that he seems to keep the ball in the ballpark allowing just 1.0 home runs per 9 innings pitched and I am sold. That said, the big question is will the Twins front office allow him to pitch or will they put a short leash on him like they do most of their starting pitchers?
The two minor league prospects the Twins received were infielder Jose Salas and outfielder Byron Chourio. Salas is going to be 20 in April and stands 6’2″ and goes about 190 and is a switch-hitter who started 2022 in Low A and moved up to High A and played primarily at shortstop but always has played second and third base. Last year Salas was ranked as the Marlins 3rd thru 10th best prospect depending where you look and for now has been slotted at the Twins number 13 prospect. Salas, split the 2022 season between Low-A Jupiter and High-A Beloit, combining to hit .250 (103-for-412) with 20 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 41 RBI, 69 runs scored, 43 walks, 33 stolen bases (34 attempts) and a .723 OPS in 109 games. The Kissimmee, Florida native was signed by the Marlins as an international free agent on July 2, 2019 out of Venezuela. Salas is a interesting individual and you can read more about him here and more fun stuff here by clicking on his name here.
Byron Chourio, (sorry, no picture) a switch-hitting outfielder will turn 18 in May and is 6’2″ and a skinny 170 or so. He will be playing pro ball in the US for the first time this spring. Chourio, hit .344 (63-for-183) with nine doubles, one home run, 23 RBI, 25 walks, 19 stolen bases, 47 runs scored, a .429 on-base percentage and an .838 OPS in 51 games for the Dominican Summer League Marlins in 2022, after signing with the organization on June 1 of last year. The switch-hitting outfielder recorded a career-high four hits three times (July 1, July 8 and July 12) and had multiple hits in 16 of his 51 games (31%). The Merida, Venezuela native ranked tied for eighth among qualified DSL hitters in runs scored and was 10th in batting average and hits.
Bottom line here is that baseball is a business and you have to give up something good to get something good in return in a trade. I know that like many Twins fans I will miss Luis Arraez and wish him the best in Miami. I also welcome Pablo Lopez to Minnesota and look forward to seeing him on the Target Field mound. Prospects Jose Salas and Byron Chourio will hopefully turn out to be frosting on the cake. My advice to the Twins FO is “let the man pitch”.