On Friday, the Cubs released infielder Nicky Lopez from his minor league contract.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, “Nicky Lopez requested and was granted his release by the Cubs today per the opt-out in his contract, in order to pursue other opportunities.” Lopez may have expected a bigger role as the first option off the bench for the Cubs, and when that didn’t happen he asked to be released.
His career at a glance
Nicky Lopez has been in the big leagues for six seasons. For the most part, Lopez has been a below-average big-league hitter with good defense in the infield. His career OPS of .626 doesn’t exactly jump off the page and he has hit just eight homers in 668 career games.
Some thought 2021 would be the beginning of his rise to stardom. That season he had a .300/.365/.378 slash line with a .744 OPS in 151 games for the Royals. Unfortunately, he would crater back down in 2022 with his OPS dropping nearly 200 points to .554 and his OPS+ almost being cut in half at 58.
In 2024, Lopez had another season to forget with the White Sox. The local kid from Naperville Illinois got his first experience playing for one of his hometown teams and it did not go as planned.
For starters, his measly .606 OPS did little to help the White Sox offensively. In 124 games with the White Sox, primarily as a second baseman, Lopez accumulated just 0.2 bWAR. In addition to his poor individual performance, the White Sox became infamous as the worst team in Major League history. That is not an opinion as they set the MLB record for losses in a season with their 41-121 record.
A new beginning with the Cubs
This offseason, Lopez looked for a fresh start and signed with his other hometown team, the Cubs. Lopez looked to compete with the Cub’s other veterans to become one of the Cub’s main bench options. He was also hoping to be a late-game defensive replacement and pinch runner.
But unfortunately, his time with the cubs would be short-lived. After signing his minor league deal in February, he would be released by the middle of March. This move was requested by Lopez as he is still interested in pursuing playing opportunities elsewhere.
It’s most likely the best decision for the longevity of his big league career. It was unlikely he would be called up from the Cubs minor league system this season. This is further evidenced by the return of star second baseman Nico Hoerner soon who will hope to resume his Iron Man status at second.
Even with Hoerner’s absence, Lopez did not make the Cub’s 31-man Tokyo roster, a sign that the Cubs do not have plans to utilize the 30-year-old veteran this season.
Lopez has put together a solid spring so far. In 24 plate appearances, he is slashing .450/.542/.550 for a 1.092 OPS. His glove will continue to be the strength of his game. But that dependability with the leather can likely earn him a bench role somewhere in the majors.
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