Miami Marlins start revamping bullpen, trading Dylan Floro to Twins for Jorge Lopez

The Miami Marlins on Wednesday acquired right-handed pitcher Jorge Lopez from the Minnesota Twins in a move to bolster their bullpen in the hopes of making a playoff push.

Miami sent right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro to Minnesota in return.

Upgrading the bullpen, specifically right-handed relievers who can handle high-leverage situations, was one of the Marlins’ top priorities heading into Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline along with adding an impact bat to the lineup.

The hope is the one-for-one swap of late-inning relievers — both of whom have track records of success but have struggled on the whole this season — will prove beneficial.

Lopez, 30, has a 5.09 ERA in 37 games this season and has converted three of seven save opportunities for Minnesota. He is a year removed from his best season as a big leaguer, when he pitched to a 2.54 ERA and made 23 saves over 67 total games, first for the Baltimore Orioles and then for the Twins after being traded midseason after being named an All-Star.

The right-handed pitcher has a five-pitch mix, throwing a sinker and a four-seam fastball that both average in the upper-90s along with an upper-80s slider and low 80s curveball that both induce swing-and-miss as well as a mid-80s changeup that is holding opponents to a .174 batting average against this season.

Lopez is under team control through the 2024 season.

Floro, whom the Marlins acquired from the Dodgers ahead of the 2021 season and is slated to be a free agent after this season, spent time as the Marlins’ closer at points each of the past three seasons (including logging seven saves this season) but recently had regressed in Miami’s high-leverage situation pecking order. His 4.54 ERA is the worst of his career among seasons in which he has pitched full time in the majors. His most recent save was on June 5 and his most recent hold (pitching late in a game where a save situation could arise) was on June 24.

As the Marlins’ bullpen stands right now, left-handed pitchers A.J. Puk and Tanner Scott remain Miami’s main late-inning relievers, with Scott primarily handling the set-up role and Puk closing. Lopez will now take Floro’s spot and join J.T. Chargois as the main right-handed, high-leverage relievers. Lefty Steven Okert, righty Huascar Brazoban and, once he returns from the injured list, lefty Andrew Nardi are the Marlins’ other three primary relievers. George Soriano has handled the long-relief role over the past month, while Bryan Hoeing has bounced between the starting rotation and the bullpen.