FanPost

Educate Me

Javy Lopez was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to Boston today for for a player to be named and a cash gift from Petey Angelos.  This allows the Red Sox to replace injured catcher Jason Varitek with a former All-Star.  The question is, why didn't the Twins or another team in playoff contention block this move since it came after the trade deadline?  

The way I understand trades after the deadline is that the player to be traded has to clear waivers, and each team is given a chance to claim players from the bottom up. Since the Twins have a lower winning percentage than the Sox, shouldn't they have claimed Lopez to block him from improving the Red Sox?  

On the other hand, is it possible that if the Twins would have claimed Lopez the Orioles could have said, "Fine, take him," and saddled the Twins with the rest of his $9 million contract?  Or can the Twins say "just kidding, we really didn't want him, we just wanted to make sure he didn't go to the Red Sox" and then he goes back to the Orioles or becomes a free agent?

Or, is it possible that Ryan thinks that at 35, Lopez is nowhere near the player that put up a .328 ba with 43 home runs and 109 RBIs in his best year in Atlanta, and will not improve any team, no matter where he ends up, so there is no need to block him?

Lopez is currently hitting .265 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 279 at-bats and has only caught in only 21 of the Orioles' 109 games.  His OBP is .314, slugging .412.  Obviously the Red Sox think he will help them, so shouldn't Terry Ryan think the same?

Educate me, please.