While not official as of this writing, it’s highly expected based upon reports that Twins RHP Pablo López will be in Minnesota for the foreseeable future. Minnesota has reportedly agreed to extend López for the next four seasons, a move that gives the Twins some much-needed stability for its starting rotation. Here’s a look at how López has done thus far, and why this deal makes sense.

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A Look at López

In search for a reliable hitter, the Miami Marlins parted with RHP Pablo López this past winter for reigning AL batting champion Luis Arraez. While the move has worked out quite well for the Marlins thus far, the same can be said for the Twins.

Through his first four starts, López went 1-1 with a sparkling 1.73 ERA over 26 innings. López ranked highly in virtually every advanced metric as of April 17, include exit velocities, Chase%, and Whiff% rate. And, his 33 strikeouts lead all of baseball as of the 17th.

When we recapped the Arraez/López trade in January, we mentioned that the 27-year-old can change speeds on a dime thanks to a plus changeup that got a ton of swings and misses and weak contact with Miami. López, however, has cut the usage of the pitch by almost half in the early goings. Instead, the righty has relied much more heavily on a diverse mix that includes the change, as well as a sinker, four-seamer, curveball, and a “sweeper” slider that’s become his primary secondary pitch.

With five pitches that vary in velocity in movement, López can not only change speeds on a whim, but also use his plus command to throw off hitters’ eyes. The 27-year-old was a very reliable #2 with the Marlins behind Sandy Alcantara, but he’s shown he can be more than that with with the Twins.

The reported four-year, $73.5 million extension will keep López a Twin until the end of the 2027 season. He’ll be 31 by the time the deal expires, very similar to the deal the Giants gave RHP Logan Webb earlier in the month.

A Look at the Twins Rotation

The extension of López gives the Twins security in the rotation over the next few years. Minnesota wasn’t set to lose López after the 2023 campaign, but Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle, and Kenta Maeda are all set to become free agents after this season. As things stand right now, the only three starters that could be considered locks for the Twins rotation in 2024 are López, Joe Ryan, and Chris Paddack.

Should the Twins lose the three aforementioned pending 2023 free agents and López after 2024, that would have made things much more complicated for Minnesota’s chances of competing in 2025 and beyond. The Twins do have some solid pitching prospects in the system like Connor Prielipp, Matt Canterino, and David Festa. But, there’s also a lot of risk with pitching prospects. A team can never have enough pitching, and having López around for the next few reasons makes it much easier to construct a winning roster.