Report: Twins listening to offers for Pablo Lopez amid 'stratospheric' prices

Lopez was 15-10 for the Twins in 2024 with a 4.08 ERA

Sep 16, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez (49) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Is Twins ace Pablo Lopez potentially on the move this offseason? According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Twins aren't exactly turning away calls for the righty.

In a look at what's next in MLB's offseason, Passan notes that the "Twins have listened on right-hander Pablo Lopez, and if free agent pitching prices remain stratospheric, perhaps they'll go beyond the listening stage."

It's been well documented, amid an ownership sale, the Twins are not looking to add to the payroll, leaving the front office to look for trades to improve the big league squad.

Lopez, 28, has gone 26-18 in two years with the Twins, registering 432 strikeouts and a 3.87 ERA in 379.1 innings of work. In 2025, Lopez will be entering the second year of a four-year, $73.5 million deal he signed in April 2023.

If the Twins trade Lopez, it'll leave Bailey Ober or Joe Ryan as the No. 1 starter, followed by the likes of David Festa, Zebby Matthews and Chris Paddack. If they keep Lopez, they'll return a very strong top three of the rotation with him, Ober and Ryan.

The righty isn't the only big name on the Twins to appear in trade rumors this offseason, with shortstop Carlos Correa repeatedly linked to trades away from Minnesota this winter. While speculation has been rampant about Correa's future, his agent, Scott Boras, claimed the 30-year-old is "happy" in Minnesota.

At the winter meetings earlier this month, Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey appeared to try to cool the Correa rumors, saying, "I would expect to get calls on a Carlos Correa... We get 'em all the time. Doesn't mean we're actively shopping in that market, but we're always open-minded to thinking about what that leads to."