MLB Weekly Digest January 23rd Edition: Twins Acquire Lopez

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The last week in MLB was about a team in the American League trading an infielder, a team in the National League is hoping to keep a starting pitcher for the long term, and a shortstop is expecting to play this upcoming season.

Minnesota Twins Acquire Starting Pitcher Pablo Lopez from Miami Marlins

The Minnesota Twins have traded infielder Luis Arraez to the Miami Marlins in exchange for right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez and prospects Jose Salas and Byron Chourio, per a team announcement.

#MNTwins have acquired RHP Pablo López, and minor leaguers Jose Salas and Byron Chourio from the Miami Marlins in exchange for Luis Arraez. pic.twitter.com/qpIpayR4RK

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) January 20, 2023

The Twins acquiring Lopez will be a boost to their starting rotation.

Lopez was solid for the Marlins last year by posting a 3.75 ERA in 180 innings pitched (32 starts) with 174 strikeouts, 53 walks issued, 21 home runs allowed, a 108 ERA+, 3.71 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP.

Marlins general manager Kim Ng said Arraez would play second base, per Craig Mish of the Miami Herald.

Marlins GM Kim Ng says Luis Arraez will play Second Base.

— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) January 20, 2023

Ng also mentioned that Jazz Chisholm Jr. would move from second base to center field.

Jazz will play CF says Ng.

— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) January 20, 2023

The general manager added that Chisholm is intrigued about the switch.

Ng says Jazz is a very unique athlete with great range and speed. Seeing how he handles pop ups. Says the organization has talked about it for a while. When the opportunity came up with different scenarios they thought about it harder. Says Jazz is intrigued.

— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) January 20, 2023

Arraez had an impressive 2022 MLB campaign with the Twins, winning the batting title in the American League with a .316 batting average in 144 games.

He also had a .795 OPS with 88 runs scored, 173 hits, 31 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 49 RBIs, and four stolen bases.

The Marlins have a terrific leadoff hitter in Arraez, and he provides versatility, as he can play multiple positions.

This deal works out for both teams, as the Marlins needed a top-of-the-order bat and the Twins wanted to strengthen their rotation.

Philadelphia Phillies Want to Sign Starting Pitcher Aaron Nola to Extension

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola played a significant role in the team’s success last year, and it’s not a surprise that the president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, wants to sign him to an extension.

“It’s something we would like to do ,” Dombrowski told 94 WIP Sportsradio’s Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie several days ago.

Nola was superb in the Phillies’ rotation last year.

He authored a 3.25 ERA in 205 innings pitched (32 starts) with 235 strikeouts, 29 walks yielded, 19 home runs surrendered, a 125 ERA+, 2.58 FIP, 0.96 WHIP, and finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting.

Nola, who is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the 2023 season, has spent his entire career with the Phillies after being selected with the seventh pick of the 2014 draft.

Boston Red Sox Shortstop Trevor Story Expects to Play in 2023

Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story expects to play at some point during the 2023 MLB season despite having elbow surgery last week, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.

Trevor Story on whether he’ll play in ‘23: “Yeah. Oh yeah. In my mind, yeah.” pic.twitter.com/nPO4o4jZ8o

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) January 21, 2023

Story had an internal bracing procedure done on his right ulnar collateral ligament as opposed to having Tommy John surgery.

The recovery timeline for the bracing procedure is typically four-to-six months, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Trevor Story underwent UCL surgery with an internal brace on his right elbow — in other words, modified Tommy John surgery with a quicker return date.

Generally speaking, players miss four to six months following the surgery.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 10, 2023

Story struggled in his first season with the Red Sox as he was sidelined due to hand and heel injuries.

The infielder posted a .238 average and .737 OPS in 94 games with 53 runs scored, 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.

The Red Sox plan to move Enrique Hernandez over to shortstop with Story injured.

About Post Author

Chris Lacey

Chris is a New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.

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