If only I had all of the comments praising the deal when it happened because they were finally going out and getting a front line starter.

Seems like the only move that has played out well so far is adding the Twin Cities uniforms.

Arraez is the opposite of what the Twins have: a FUN player to watch, a CONTACT hitter who doesn't strikeout, and a player who can actually get HITS. 

Gee, it would be nice to find such a player...

I was embarrassed as a Twins fan at all the people on this site that wanted to dump him.  You got your wish.

Now, watching Marlins games is way more fun.

6 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

If only I had all of the comments praising the deal when it happened because they were finally going out and getting a front line starter.

 

I remember getting roasted on social media for thinking the trade stunk. It is what it is, but I thought it was an interesting article.

IMO Luis Aaraez trade was worst trade ever by FO.    I have no faith in FO at all.   I’m not impressed with Pablo Lopez.   

5 minutes ago, Irishman said:

IMO Luis Aaraez trade was worst trade ever by FO.    I have no faith in FO at all.   I’m not impressed with Pablo Lopez.   

Hindsight:  20/20

I'm unhappy for me - I thought that Arraez might have already given his best season, and that his injuries would flare up again. I liked the trade. Should have known better.

I'm unhappy for the team. He's exactly what the team needs now. Lopez is still important, but not nearly so. Not even close.

But ... I'm happy for Arraez. Great player. He deserves the accolades and the fun he's having in Miami.

one poster tried to justify this trade by instructing us that Arraez is merely a 'one-tool' player. Guess doesn't matter that the one tool is a sledge hammer that Twins sorely miss in their punch-out lineup this season. His average 'd' cannot nullify what he brings to the lineup. (Imagine him being the Twins DH this season...Buxton not withstanding)

Always tricky trading an everyday player for a pitcher that will only make possibly 25-30 starts, pitching maybe 6 innings, unless that pitcher is Cy Young. Twins rolled the dice and so far things haven't gone well. Is this Monday morning Q-backing?

No--Arraez won the batting title last year. Twins knew what they were giving up. Even if Lopez turns it around and wins 8 or 9 games 2nd half, Twins have not received equal value in that trade. At least not in 2023. Could Arraez come back to earth 2nd half and flop badly? Always that chance, but as a pure hitter, probably not. That would be like saying Gallo will stop striking out beginning July 1. (if he's still on the team)

It was a trade that shouldn't have happened.

Is this just a copy and paste of an article on another site rather than just a link and some opinion?

But we also got Salas and a teenage lottery ticket in the deal too…

What a joke.

In the third inning of the last game that Lopez pitched he walked 2 batters and hit 1 batter. Hard to believe the front office extended his contract. Just have no faith in front office.

I get it people don't like the trade and love Arraez. But people are dumping on Lopez like he is Archer, Bundy, Shoemaker, and Happ, he isn't, he is a pitcher the Twins haven't had since Berrios, Gibson, and Erv Santana where going out consistently pitching into the 7th or 8th.

He hasn't pitched like a ace that is for sure. But he is averaging 6 innings per start and just more than half of the time he is going 6 with 3 runs or less, he is and has been healthy, Would I like to see less 4+ runs per start games, yes I would. But with him, Ryan and 5 inning Gray they give any team a chance in a 3 game series.

It takes giving up something to get something so IMO to get a pitcher like Lopez it was going to take Arreaz, Lewis or Lee (and with the later two probably another top prospect)

This post isn't meant to defend the FO, I mean it is the lack of actually building a pipeline and terrible other trades that forced their hand yet again into trading for another starting pitcher (Ryan, Gray, Paddock, Mahle). If look at what they gave up to Gray, Mahle and Lopez ts is a gosh darn kings ransom. Looking at each trade independently I was and still am for each because of the situation, taken as a whole this FO should really, really being worrying about their job if they can't turn this season around.

I have confidence that Lopez will turn around and be a fairly good starter going forward (confidence in Pablo, not the Twins)... but maybe don't trade the reigning batting champion in his prime. The front office wisely sold high on a few guys in early 2022 (Garver, Rogers, Donaldson), but it turned out Arraez didn't reached his ceiling in 2022. 

52 minutes ago, John Belinski said:

In the third inning of the last game that Lopez pitched he walked 2 batters and hit 1 batter. Hard to believe the front office extended his contract. Just have no faith in front office.

They basically extended a good pitcher for the price of the pitchers that pitch as well as him have been getting and maybe less. The signing isn't the problem, see my post above for what is.

You do realize Lopez is younger than Ober  (only two years older than Varland) with a track record way better than either of those two. No he isn't Valdez or Cole, but very few are.

28 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

They basically extended a good pitcher for the price of the pitchers that pitch as well as him have been getting and maybe less. The signing isn't the problem, see my post above for what is.

You do realize Lopez is younger than Ober  (only two years older than Varland) with a track record way better than either of those two. No he isn't Valdez or Cole, but very few are.

I do feel bad for Lopez. Not his fault he was traded for Rod Carew. I think I've heard Bremer tell me 6 or 7 times the last 2 days that we've struck out 200 more times this year than the Red Sox. Shut up Dick. We get it.

1 hour ago, Seth Stohs said:

Is this just a copy and paste of an article on another site rather than just a link and some opinion?

There are comments on the body of the post. Richie reached out to me.

3 hours ago, insagt1 said:

one poster tried to justify this trade by instructing us that Arraez is merely a 'one-tool' player. Guess doesn't matter that the one tool is a sledge hammer that Twins sorely miss in their punch-out lineup this season. His average 'd' cannot nullify what he brings to the lineup. (Imagine him being the Twins DH this season...Buxton not withstanding)

Always tricky trading an everyday player for a pitcher that will only make possibly 25-30 starts, pitching maybe 6 innings, unless that pitcher is Cy Young. Twins rolled the dice and so far things haven't gone well. Is this Monday morning Q-backing?

No--Arraez won the batting title last year. Twins knew what they were giving up. Even if Lopez turns it around and wins 8 or 9 games 2nd half, Twins have not received equal value in that trade. At least not in 2023. Could Arraez come back to earth 2nd half and flop badly? Always that chance, but as a pure hitter, probably not. That would be like saying Gallo will stop striking out beginning July 1. (if he's still on the team)

It was a trade that shouldn't have happened.

I don't know if you are referring to me but that is something I have said and will say again.  It was and remains true.  It just happens that its the one tool that can stand on its own and is a very good one.  Is it generational?  Doubtful.  He will have to make a dramatic improvement in his health and stamina to maintain anything close to this pace.  Remember being concerned about his legs holding up?  At this point last year he was hitting .362 with an .899 OPS and fell off a relative cliff after.  He didn't run away with the batting title, the season just ended before he could be caught.  The pure hitter flopped badly in the second half, improbable as it may be.  He's not Rod Carew, and as you state, the Twins knew what they were giving up, that goes both ways.

Where would he play?  We already have enough stone handed fielders to find spots for.  The FO knew the DH was occupied.  There have been volumes on these pages about a roster crunch.  Yes, I know he would have a spot hitting like this but who loses out?  Yes, the roster looks much different without this trade, someone else would have gone somewhere, but it doesn't change that he doesn't project to be anything more than a powerless DH defensively. 

Making proclamations about this trade less than 80 games in is shortsighted at best.  Writing these pieces in the name of content production is the worst thing about the internet.  While this is a SI article, Twins Daily could take the lesson as well.  Less but better content.  There is nothing to talk about here. 

1 hour ago, Danchat said:

I have confidence that Lopez will turn around and be a fairly good starter going forward (confidence in Pablo, not the Twins)... but maybe don't trade the reigning batting champion in his prime. The front office wisely sold high on a few guys in early 2022 (Garver, Rogers, Donaldson), but it turned out Arraez didn't reached his ceiling in 2022. 

I agree with everything you wrote here. Well said. 

17 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

I don't know if you are referring to me but that is something I have said and will say again.  It was and remains true.  It just happens that its the one tool that can stand on its own and is a very good one.  Is it generational?  Doubtful.  He will have to make a dramatic improvement in his health and stamina to maintain anything close to this pace.  Remember being concerned about his legs holding up?  At this point last year he was hitting .362 with an .899 OPS and fell off a relative cliff after.  He didn't run away with the batting title, the season just ended before he could be caught.  The pure hitter flopped badly in the second half, improbable as it may be.  He's not Rod Carew, and as you state, the Twins knew what they were giving up, that goes both ways.

Where would he play?  We already have enough stone handed fielders to find spots for.  The FO knew the DH was occupied.  There have been volumes on these pages about a roster crunch.  Yes, I know he would have a spot hitting like this but who loses out?  Yes, the roster looks much different without this trade, someone else would have gone somewhere, but it doesn't change that he doesn't project to be anything more than a powerless DH defensively. 

Making proclamations about this trade less than 80 games in is shortsighted at best.  Writing these pieces in the name of content production is the worst thing about the internet.  While this is a SI article, Twins Daily could take the lesson as well.  Less but better content.  There is nothing to talk about here. 

This was a post on my blog, not an article from Twins Daily. Any criticism can be directed at me as the poster not to the website as a whole. The nice thing about a place like this is the sharing of ideas and the discussion that takes place. Because of the level of emotion involved with this trade albeit right or wrong it will continue to be a topic of discussion and everyone seems to have an opinion about it. We won't know whether or not this trade is a win or a loss for either team until many years from now. The purpose of the article was how bad it is looking as of Monday night. In 6 weeks the story could be completely different. 

agree with above and have voiced same opinion. Right now the trade looks awful but it could change. Also topics like this are good for this website because they do elicit a wide spectrum of comments. Why have forums like this if commentary can't flow..emotional or not.

My constant thought for years on any trade has been,...be very careful when you trade an everyday position player for a pitcher. Unless that pitcher is a bonafide game changer, its usually not that hot of an idea. If the everyday player is definitely expendable, then perhaps you roll those dice. So halfway thru 2023 it can be said Miami is getting a lot more out of this trade than Minnesota. Let's see if Arraez can sustain and if Lopez can improve. Will the Marlins make post season and will the Twins also somehow sneak in.

3 hours ago, rwilfong86 said:

I agree with everything you wrote here. Well said. 

I'll follow that up with a prediction - Lopez will finish the year with an ERA under 3.80, and he will also pitch at least 170 innings on the season.

11 minutes ago, Danchat said:

I'll follow that up with a prediction - Lopez will finish the year with an ERA under 3.80, and he will also pitch at least 170 innings on the season.

We can circle back and see at the end of the season. Thanks for responding!

I luckily have had a fun to follow team with the Blue Jays.  Now I can add the Marlins (today was tough Jays v Marlins).  Last year at this time the Marlins record was .426 and this year is .560 and if they playoffs started today they would be in.  What a turn around!

Didn't like the deal then and I don't like it now. But I get it. The pitching depth is terrible. One more starting pitcher goes down and we're stuck with a bullpen game. Arraez may be the best hitter in baseball for the next 12 years, but he will spend so many of those years with the Yankees or Dodgers that when he enters Cooperstown, nobody will have remembered him as a Twin anyway, regardless of this trade. 

Correa, Buxton, Larnach, Vazquez, and Miranda weren't supposed to be this terrible. We'd still be headed for a sub .500 season even with Ted Williams on this team. 

All that said, I'd prefer to watch the next 2 years of sub .500 baseball with Arraez on the team instead of Doyle Alexander Lopez. 

I totally get they need a #1 starter pitching but in this case they should have "bought" one instead of trading Arraez.