Pablo Lopez contract: Regrading Twins-Marlins trade after landmark deal

The Minnesota Twins have signed Pablo Lopez to a new four-year contract after an excellent start to the regular season. The former Marlins pitcher officially has a new long-term home.

Lopez is 1-1 with a 1.73 ERA in his first four starts, and was sent to the Twins in a trade which shipped Luis Arraez — the defending AL batting champion — to the Miami Marlins.

Both teams traded from areas of strength, and thus far, it’s paid off in Miami and Minnesota. The Twins desperately needed pitching, and they’ve acquired a potential ace in Lopez should he continue pitching at this level.

Lopez’s contract, per Craig Mish and confirmed by other sources, will buy out his final arbitration season and pay him $73.5 million over four seasons. Assuming another extension isn’t in order, he’ll become a free agent at 31 years old.

Pablo Lopez contract details with Twins

Per Ken Rosenthal, the Minnesota Twins have signed Pablo Lopez to a four-year extension woth $73.5 million.

MLB Trade Rumors gave a brief synopsis of the deal itself:

"“Assuming Lopez would’ve landed somewhere in the $10MM range for his final arbitration season, the contract effectively buys out his first three free-agent years for a combined $63MM, give or take a bit. The deal values Lopez at somewhere around $20-21MM per free-agent season. That annual range takes him past the AAVs that mid-rotation arms like Taijuan Walker ($18MM) and Jameson Taillon ($17MM) agreed to this past offseason.”"

Lopez has had an excellent start to his Minnesota career, and for now is arguably the best pitcher on their staff.

Regrading the Marlins-Twins trade for Pablo Lopez, Luis Arraez

Twins grade: B+

The only reason we can’t grade this an A yet is because it’s way too early in the process for that. Lopez looks like an excellent fit and just signed an affordable extension. Salas and Chourio, if they work out in Minnesota’s favor, could very well win them this deal. For now, though, I’m being cautious.

Marlins grade: B

Luis Arraez has played about as well as he can in a Marlins uniform. Last year’s batting champ leading the National League in that same category this season. He’s slashing an otherworldly .471/.526/.647. Arraez is only 26 years old and while some assume he’ll slow down and be forced into a DH slot, that hasn’t happened just yet. Miami might have gotten a steal, even if it cost them quite a bit.