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White Sox Interested in Naperville Legend Nicky Lopez


Sleepy Harold
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4 minutes ago, CWSpalehoseCWS said:

Lopez's wRC+ over the course of his career:

  • 2019 - 56
  • 2020 - 53
  • 2021 - 105
  • 2022 - 57

While 2B defense would be improved, Lopez is not just bad offensively - he's flat out terrible. People think Romy is bad offensively, he had a wRC+ of 69 (nice) last year (and 66 in his sss in 2021).

All the projection systems have him at around 80 wRC+. If he gives you 1.5 wins of value on defense (which is what he's done the past 2 seasons and then some) then that's useful. 

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28 minutes ago, chw42 said:

All the projection systems have him at around 80 wRC+. If he gives you 1.5 wins of value on defense (which is what he's done the past 2 seasons and then some) then that's useful. 

I guess I simply don't see any reason to believe he's going to magically shoot up to be over his career norms in the 50's. I think it's pretty obvious that 2021 was an outlier year.

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2 hours ago, ChiliIrishHammock24 said:

Fun fact, Lopez was worth 5.9 fWAR in 2021 due to god-like defense. He also hits lefty. And is a very good baserunner.

 

Three things many people in this thread apparently don't think the Sox need? Hmm.

“Hits lefty” is a pretty loose interpretation of those words.  He technically takes at-bats from the left side would be a more fair way of saying it.  And the one amazing season you’re referring to was partially driven by flukey batted ball luck.  He’s legit one of the worst hitters in baseball.  I understand the defense is amazing, but going with a glove-only guy at 2B (even with the rule changes) seems nuts to me.  Personally, I’d rather just go with Lenyn Sosa even if you have to accept some struggles for the first months.

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8 hours ago, bmags said:

I’m actually moving this into the “good move, if costs nothing” camp.

He is a wonderful fielder and would love to have more assurances there.

Yeah he's a good player. Bring him over or Massey. Naperville vs. Bro Rice.

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5 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

“Hits lefty” is a pretty loose interpretation of those words.  He technically takes at-bats from the left side would be a more fair way of saying it.  And the one amazing season you’re referring to was partially driven by flukey batted ball luck.  He’s legit one of the worst hitters in baseball.  I understand the defense is amazing, but going with a glove-only guy at 2B (even with the rule changes) seems nuts to me.  Personally, I’d rather just go with Lenyn Sosa even if you have to accept some struggles for the first months.

Don’t get why it can’t be Nicky Lopez and lenyn

and no Leury 

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I'll take Nicky. God like defense, very good base stealer, smart I.Q. player (lord knows we need it). Would basically be like getting Yolmer back except a better version of him. Who knows.. get him out of Kauffman stadium and he might run into a few more bombs too. Benintendi, Robert, Moncada, Lopez is a very good defensive group (we'll see about TA, and I think Vaughn is a better defender than Abreu personally).

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I think this comes down to whether you think you acquire lopez and believe he is full time starting 2b forever, or util infielder.

He was a UTIl infielder this year (thats what was indicated) for the royals, so that's what I'm taking. People mentioned a platoon for 2b...well, hey offensively not amazing but this is close to that.

And yes, having an elite defender to deploy to SS or 2b would be a first. Leury was versatile but was best in the outfield and only average to below in the infield.

So if you could assume leury is just not there, you may assume that we trade leury with some extra goods for lopez so that they take the salary, we get the util infielder swap, and they get prospects. Who? i don't know, hopefully that is still just a project pop up arm. But it may be someone interesting like wilfred veras.

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15 minutes ago, bmags said:

I think this comes down to whether you think you acquire lopez and believe he is full time starting 2b forever, or util infielder.

He was a UTIl infielder this year (thats what was indicated) for the royals, so that's what I'm taking. People mentioned a platoon for 2b...well, hey offensively not amazing but this is close to that.

And yes, having an elite defender to deploy to SS or 2b would be a first. Leury was versatile but was best in the outfield and only average to below in the infield.

So if you could assume leury is just not there, you may assume that we trade leury with some extra goods for lopez so that they take the salary, we get the util infielder swap, and they get prospects. Who? i don't know, hopefully that is still just a project pop up arm. But it may be someone interesting like wilfred veras.

Hes a utility guy. He's basically  Yolmer Sanchez, althouh he can probably steal a lttile more, even though he isn't all that fast, and hit fewer homers.

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46 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Hes a utility guy. He's basically  Yolmer Sanchez, althouh he can probably steal a lttile more, even though he isn't all that fast, and hit fewer homers.

I will highlight how good his defense is though. Yolmers best defensive season for the Sox was 2018 where he was a whiz at 3b and had a 10 OOA season.

Nicky Lopez in 2021 had a 25 OOA season and last year was 14.

This is guy is two times better than the best middle infielder we would all point to as the best we’ve had.

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2 minutes ago, bmags said:

I will highlight how good his defense is though. Yolmers best defensive season for the Sox was 2018 where he was a whiz at 3b and had a 10 OOA season.

Nicky Lopez in 2021 had a 25 OOA season and last year was 14.

This is guy is two times better than the best middle infielder we would all point to as the best we’ve had.

Weren't his numbers poor at 2B though last season? I read one of the sites had him below average. I won't buy that, he's obviously got a nice glove, but still a .600 OPS at best is going to require a lot of glove. If he was a bench guy, fine, but he is being driven out of the KC line up, and they are a really bad team.

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6 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Weren't his numbers poor at 2B though last season? I read one of the sites had him below average. I won't buy that, he's obviously got a nice glove, but still a .600 OPS at best is going to require a lot of glove. If he was a bench guy, fine, but he is being driven out of the KC line up, and they are a really bad team.

4 OAA in 224 attempts. Never negative at 2B 

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9 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Weren't his numbers poor at 2B though last season? I read one of the sites had him below average. I won't buy that, he's obviously got a nice glove, but still a .600 OPS at best is going to require a lot of glove. If he was a bench guy, fine, but he is being driven out of the KC line up, and they are a really bad team.

Agree, but it makes him a perfect fit for the White Sox because  he'll come cheap at only 3.7 Mil. , sounds like Josh Harrison with a smaller bat and salary. Perfect, sign him say's JR to RH.

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I don't want to break the internet. but the sox reached out to me to fill their 2b position too. I last played in 7th grade, but was an all star on the Villa Park squad. I have a NRI to spring training so well see what happens. wish me luck!

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2 hours ago, bmags said:

Don’t get why it can’t be Nicky Lopez and lenyn

and no Leury 

I’d be fine with him in a reserve role (definitely worried that Grifol would play him everyday), but I can’t see us cutting Leury until mid-season at the earlier.  Hahn is going to try to save face on that deal IMO.

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19 minutes ago, ThirdGen said:

If this Sox are interested in Lopez he must be involved in human trafficking or running a meth lab.  The Sox haven't covered that yet.

Meth lab. He currently plays in Missouri + it'd help address the budget restrictions.

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9 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

“Hits lefty” is a pretty loose interpretation of those words.  He technically takes at-bats from the left side would be a more fair way of saying it.  And the one amazing season you’re referring to was partially driven by flukey batted ball luck.  He’s legit one of the worst hitters in baseball.  I understand the defense is amazing, but going with a glove-only guy at 2B (even with the rule changes) seems nuts to me.  Personally, I’d rather just go with Lenyn Sosa even if you have to accept some struggles for the first months.

You can still go with Sosa tho. Again, I am not really a proponent of acquiring Nicky Lopez, but doing so doesn’t mean that Sosa can’t still get the majority of the at bats at second base in 2023 and onward. 

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3 hours ago, Dick Allen said:

Hes a utility guy. He's basically  Yolmer Sanchez, althouh he can probably steal a lttile more, even though he isn't all that fast, and hit fewer homers.

He's better than Yolmer. I've said a rich man's version. Not ideal, but for this team it's very needed. Still hoping getting out of Kauffman he'll run into a couple more bombs too.

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