The Miami Marlins are surprisingly near .500, at 17-20 as of Friday afternoon.
Pablo Lopez‘s excellent pitching has been a big reason why Miami is decent, as he is currently leading the National League in ERA.
Pitcher and team, however, are about to enter an ugly part of MLB: an arbitration hearing.
As the Marlins and the budding ace couldn’t agree on his 2022 salary, an independent arbitrator will hear each side’s argument and side with one of them.
“NL ERA leader Pablo Lopez and the Marlins are scheduled to go to an arbitration hearing today. This year’s stats aren’t supposed to factor in but Lopez leads NL pitchers in WAR (2.1) as well as ERA (1.57). He seeks $3M; the Marlins requested $2.45M,” MLB insider Jon Heyman tweeted.
NL ERA leader Pablo Lopez and the Marlins are scheduled to go to an arbitration hearing today. This year’s stats aren’t supposed to factor in but Lopez leads NL pitchers in WAR (2.1) as well as ERA (1.57). He seeks $3M; the Marlins requested $2.45M.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 20, 2022
We have said this many times, but it isn’t pretty hearing your own organization finding things about you that will drive down your price.
That is exactly what is about to happen with Miami and Lopez.
The Gap May Not Seem Significant, But It Is
He wants $3 million, but the Marlins are only willing to give him $2.45 million.
It may not seem like a major gap, but $550,000 is a considerable amount of money that could change a family’s financial situation.
It’s Lopez’s first season of arbitration eligibility.
He made $595,000 last season, so the jump is already changing his financial landscape.
Though 2022 stats can’t count per arbitration hearing rules, Lopez is having a fantastic season, with a 1.57 ERA, a 2.30 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) and 48 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched.
He surely deserves to earn his $3 million dollars.
NEXT: Pablo Lopez Continues To Pace All NL Pitchers