Player Review: Nicky Lopez

I know it is a small sample size, but in only 26 games in an Atlanta Braves uniform, Lopez went 18-for-65 (.277) with one homer, three doubles, and 12 RBI. Prior to that, Lopez was hitting .213 in 68 games for the Kansas City Royals. He was not the best hitter on the team by any measure, but when he showed up in Atlanta and was forced into a starting role, he was on fire. He cooled off towards the end of the season but I wasn't upset with his at-bats.

When the Braves traded for Nicky Lopez, he was brought in as a guy who was known for his defense. He appeared in 24 games for the Braves last season. He made 14 appearances at second base, 6 appearances at shortstop, 2 appearances at third base, and 2 appearances at first base. He only made one error during those 24 appearances and that error happened at shortstop.

Nicky Lopez's contract status

The Braves only had to pay Nicky Lopez $1,233,304 of his $3.7M contract, given the timing of the trade, with the Royals covering the rest of the money. Lopez has two more years of arbitration before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2026, and the projected arbitration cost for Lopez in 2024 is $3.9M

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Projecting the 2024 Atlanta Braves' arbitration salaries