MLB trade rumors 2013: San Francisco Giants will ‘definitely’ trade Javier Lopez?

The reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants could just be hours away from blowing up their team as they sit in last place of the National League West.

While many players have received inquiries, the most likely to be traded is reliever Javier Lopez, at least according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman:

"The Giants will definitely move lefty reliever Javier Lopez, and the Indians have shown interest. And they are at least listening on righty Tim Lincecum and, particularly, right fielder Hunter Pence.“We are not in ‘let’s make a deal’ mode just to make deals,” Giants assistant GM Bobby Evans said. “That is not who we are and how we are constructed.”Lincecum and Pence are in their walk years. But the Giants are interested in retaining both, and their current intention is to offer them the roughly $13.8 million tender, which at worst would assure a draft pick between the first and second rounds if either signed elsewhere. And as Evans said, “You have to be realistic that if you trade a guy, you are not going to be able to re-sign him. That is what history shows.”"

As assistant general manager Bobby Evans hints, the Giants aren’t in a fire sale mode as they have every intention of trying to win next season so letting go of players like Pence or Lincecum is unlikely. However, trading Lopez, who is a free agent at season end and 36-years-old seems like a smart baseball decision despite his close ties to the fan base.

Both the Cleveland Indians, as mentioned above, as well as the Detroit Tigers have shown interest in Lopez.