The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Jorge López and cash considerations from the Baltimore Orioles, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Yennier Cano, and minor league left-handed pitchers Cade Povich and Juan Rojas, and right-handed pitcher Juan Nunez.
López, who was named to the 2022 American League All-Star team, has gone 4-6 with a 1.68 ERA (48.1 IP, 9 ER), 19 saves (23 opportunities), 17 walks, 54 strikeouts, a 0.97 WHIP, a .174 opponent batting average, a .529 opponent OPS and just three home runs allowed. The 29-year-old ranks tied for fifth in the AL in saves and second (minimum 45.0 IP) in opponent batting average, third in ERA, fourth in opponent OPS, ninth in WHIP and 15th in strikeouts-per-9.0 IP (10.06).
The Caguas, Puerto Rico native has in pitched parts of seven major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals and Orioles, going 16-37 with a 5.51 ERA (398.1 IP, 244 ER), 155 walks and 351 strikeouts in 146 games (58 starts). He was originally selected by the Brewers in the second round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Caguas Military Academy in Caguas, PR.
Cano, 28, was signed by Minnesota as a minor league free agent out of Cuba in 2019 and made his major league debut on May 11, 2022. He went 1-0 with a 9.22 ERA (13.2 IP, 14 ER), 11 walks and 14 strikeouts in 10 relief appearances for the Twins this season, as well as 1-1 with a 1.90 ERA (23.2 IP, 5 ER), six walks and 25 strikeouts in 20 outings for Triple-A St. Paul.
Povich, 22, was selected by the Twins in the third round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Nebraska and is currently ranked as the No. 22 prospect in the organization, per MLB.com. The southpaw has gone 6-8 with a 4.46 ERA (78.2 IP, 39 ER), 26 walks and 107 strikeouts in 16 starts for High-A Cedar Rapids this season.
Rojas, 18, was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent out of Maracaibo, Venezuela in March 2021 and spent two seasons in the organization, most recently going 1-2 with a 3.60 ERA (30.0 IP, 12 ER), four walks and 38 strikeouts in eight games (5 starts) for the FCL Twins in 2022.
Nunez, 21, signed with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent out of Azua, Dominican Republic in 2019 and has gone 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA (29.2 IP, 16 ER), 10 walks and 47 strikeouts in eight games (7 starts) for the FCL Twins in 2022.
(info courtesy of Twins)