Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports that the Phillies are “in serious talks” with the Astros for right-hander Wilton Lopez, who would take over as the primary setup man in front of closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Lopez’s price tag won’t be cheap, as he’s thrown 204 innings with a 2.64 ERA during the past three seasons, remains bargain-priced entering his first year of arbitration eligibility at age 29, and is under team control through 2015.
Lopez saved 10 games after taking over for Brett Myers as the Astros’ closer down the stretch and posted a fantastic 54/8 K/BB ratio in 66 innings overall this year while allowing just four homers in 260 plate appearances. His fastball averaged 92.4 miles per hour and he was among the league leaders in ground-ball percentage.
No word yet on what the Astros would get in return, but it’s a safe bet they’re targeting prospects rather than big leaguers.