Former Cincinnati Red Signs Minor-League Deal with The Athletics

Jason Burke | Nov 12, 2024

Sep 9, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Alejo Lopez (35) scores on a RBI single hit by center fielder Harrison Bader (not pictured) in the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Athletics have apparently agreed to terms with former Cincinnati Reds utility player Alejo Lopez according to his own Instagram account.

His statement reads: "I have reached an agreement with @athletics, I feel happy and grateful for this new opportunity with this great club."

Lopez, 28, was a 27th round selection of the Reds back in 2015 and made his debut with the team in 2021, getting into 14 games. He was a bigger part of the roster in 2022, playing in 61 games and getting 156 plate appearances, and he hit .262 with a .314 OBP that year. He only got into one game in 2023 and spent the rest of the season in Triple-A Louisville.

Following the '23 season he elected free agency and signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves for 2024. Even with all of the injuries that Atlanta faced, he was unable to get a look in the big leagues with the Braves. He was released in late September.

Last season he hit .307 with a .392 OBP in Gwinnett across 112 games. He homered four times and stole 21 bases in 28 attempts. Over the course of his career in the minors, he has hit .298 with a .380 on-base in nine seasons, so he has the track record of being a solid player in the minors. He can make contact and has shown the ability to not strike out, but his power is more in the way of doubles, not homers.

The question now will be whether or not he can earn some playing time on the 26-man roster. This past season in the minors, he played in 68 games at third base, so the A's could use him as a depth option at the hot corner. Or perhaps he's going to be the main option for the A's, much like Abraham Toro served as a consistent part of the lineup in 2024.

The impression we've received is that the A's will have a veteran option at the hot corner next season, and not someone that is looking for an opportunity, so this move feels like more of a depth one than anything. Lopez will certainly be in big-league camp because he should be one of the names atop the depth chart for a number of infield positions, but it would be surprising, at least right now, if he was thought of as "the guy."