Passan: The Asking Price for Javier Lopez

On Sunday, the Giants successfully finished their being sweeped by the Cubs in another one-run affair, and not long after, the trade rumors started circulating even quicker. Lefty-One-Out-Guy (LOOGY) Javier Lopez, possibly the first of the Champions to be sold off, has a high asking price, per Jeff Passan:

Jul 21, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Javier Lopez (49) pitches during the eighth inning in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT

I mean, the Giants do need a major league-ready starting pitcher, and think about the leverage that could give them going into the off-season with guys like Tim Lincecum. ESPN’s Buster Olney provides a favorite for possible Night Train destinations:

“Major League ready” starting pitchers from Cleveland could possibly include Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar from the prospect lists, and their triple-A staff includes Carlos Carrasco, T.J. House, and get this — Joe Martinez. Yes, that one. The one — along with John Bowker — that the Giants used to trade for Javier Lopez when they made the deal with Pittsburgh in 2010. Can you blame the Giants for asking for such a commodity — a major league reliever for a long-term team controlled major league-caliber starter? Not at all, but can you blame teams for being scared away for the moment? No, sir.

Javier Lopez has a 1.42 ERA and 2.09 FIP in 25.1 IP in 2013 and has put up a .167/.232/.234 against LHH as well as a .213 wOBA against 71 batters. That would be very useful out of the bullpen, and Giants fans have seen that usefulness come into play against matchups especially with the opposition in the postseason. We wish Javy could be a Giant for as long as he’s useful, but at this point, it’s time to work towards getting the Giants competitive for 2014 and beyond.