2 weeks Ago
The Chicago Cubs signed Nicky Lopez to a one-year major league contract on Wednesday. Lopez spent the spring with Chicago, was released from his minor league contract March 21, and officially signed with the Angels four days later. Lopez had an outstanding Cactus League at the plate, batting .
450 with a 1.092 OPS in 20 at-bats. Yet after two games and six at-bats with the Angels, he was released on April 18 and elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Now, he's back on the South Side of Chicago after playing 124 games with the White Sox last season. Lopez, 30, has appeared at all four infield positions over parts of seven seasons at the major league level. A fifth-round draft pick by the Kansas City Royals out of Creighton in 2016, he's played for the Kansas City Royals (2019-2023), Atlanta Braves (2023), and Chicago White Sox (2024) since his May 2019 debut.
In 2024, Lopez demonstrated his defensive capabilities by converting 433 of 437 chances in the field and being named a finalist for the A.L. Gold Glove Award at second base.
The emergence of Kyren Paris, the presence of backup infielder Kevin Newman, and the Angels' internal expectations for 2024 first-round draft pick Christian Moore left little future in Anaheim for Lopez. Luis Rengifo could also see time at second base after Yoan Moncada — another member of the 2024 White Sox who set a modern MLB record for losses (121) — returns from the injured list. Entering the 2025 season, Lopez had compiled a .
248 career average with 83 doubles, 18 triples, seven home runs, and 152 RBIs across 670 MLB games. Lopez agreed to a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Angels but earned just a prorated fraction of that after going 0-for-6 with one strikeout in four games. His most memorable appearance in an Angels uniform might have been on the mound.
In what was the fourth pitching appearance of his career, Lopez recorded the final out of the Angels' 8-1 loss to the White Sox on March 27. He threw nine pitches, walking Korey Lee and getting Jacob Amaya to fly out. More news: Angels Manager Has No Plans to Change Lineup Amid Major Struggles Now, Lopez figures to see more time as a position player than a pitcher with the Cubs, who are hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of a three-game series between two of the best teams in the National League.
The Cubs enter the game at Wrigley Field with a 15-10 record, tops in the National League Central. The Dodgers are 16-8. For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI .
.
