The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have signed right-handed pitcher Pablo López to a four-year contract extension through the 2027 season.
López, 27, has gone 1-1 with a 1.73 ERA (26.0 IP, 5 ER), six walks, 33 strikeouts, a .167 (15-for-90) opponent batting average, 0.81 WHIP and 11.42 strikeouts-per-nine innings through four starts this season for the Twins.
He made the start for Minnesota on Opening Day, joining Johan Santana (2006-07) as the only Venezuelan-born pitchers to start on Opening Day for the Twins. López notched his 500th career strikeout on April 5 at Miami, recorded his third career 10-plus strikeout game on April 11 vs. Chicago-AL and his 33 strikeouts so far are the most by any pitcher within his first four career games in a Twins uniform. On April 11 vs. the White Sox at Target Field, López retired 23 consecutive batters from the second through eighth innings, the third-longest such stretch within a game by a pitcher in Twins history (1961-present), per Elias.
The 6-foot-4, 214-pound right-hander has gone 29-32 with a 3.83 ERA (536.0 IP, 228 ER), 148 walks, 522 strikeouts, a .238 (478-for-2007) opponent batting average and a 1.17 WHIP in 98 career major league starts between Minnesota and the Miami Marlins.
A native of Cabimas, Venezuela, López was acquired by the Twins from the Marlins on January 20 along with infielder Jose Salas and outfielder Byron Chourio, in exchange for infielder Luis Arraez. He was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent in 2012 and traded to Miami in July 2017.
(info courtesy of Twins)
