The Orioles traded All-Star closer Jorge López, who saved 19 games for Baltimore this year, to the Minnesota Twins for four pitching prospects, the clubs announced Aug. 2.
López, 29, is earning $1.5 million in his first year of arbitration. He has two more years of club control remaining. Lopez joins a Minnesota team that is 54-48 and in first place by one game in the American League Central. Six Twins have recorded saves this year, led by Emilio Pagan (nine) and Jhoan Duran (six).
López, originally a second-round pick out of Puerto Rico by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011, struggled to establish himself as a major league pitcher with the Brewers and Kansas City Royals from 2015-2020. He was claimed off waivers by the Orioles in 2020, and his career took off a couple of years later.
Baltimore gave López an extended look in the starting rotation in 2020 and 2021 but shifted him to the bullpen full time in 2022. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander thrived as a reliever and quickly became the Orioles’ closer. López has posted a 1.68 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 48.1 innings this year, earning a trip to Los Angeles for the All-Star Game in July.
The Twins sent left-handers Cade Povich and Juan Rojas and right-handers Yennier Cano and Juan Nunez to Baltimore in exchange for López. Povich, 22, had a 4.46 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 78.2 innings for High-A Cedar Rapids. He was taken in the third round out of Nebraska in 2021. Cano, 28, had a 1.90 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 23.2 innings for Triple-A St. Paul. Nunez, 21, and Rojas, 18, were with the FCL Twins.
The Orioles called up left-hander Nick Vespi to take López’s spot on the active roster.
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