The Minnesota Twins are closing in on a four-year, $73.5-million contract extension with right-hander Pablo Lopez, according to Miami Herald senior baseball contributor Craig Mish.
Lopez's contract does not include options and buys out three free-agent years, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.
Locking up Lopez provides the Twins with rotation depth, as Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, and Tyler Mahle are all free agents at the end of this season.
The 27-year-old Lopez is off to a great start for the Twins, authoring a 1.73 ERA in four starts while leading the majors in strikeouts. He also impressed in his lone World Baseball Classic start for Venezuela, striking out six in 4 2/3 innings.
The Twins acquired Lopez from the Miami Marlins in the offseason in a trade involving Luis Arraez.
