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It turned out, however, that the story wasn’t so much the hot stove being ignited as it was somebody leaning on the gas without realizing it.  And before somebody could even wonder what in the hell that smell was, Lopez was gone, his deal cut off at the point of the physical.  It was an arbitrary part of the process; most deals that reach the physical are basically done.  But something happened in between there and here that made the whole thing burn.

Maybe it was a gas leak.  Who knows what’s real and what’s a metaphor anymore?

The point is, the Phillies had their reliever and lost him.  Soon, he was swept up by the relentless allure of Colorado Rockies baseball, indicating that perhaps Lopez’s health hadn’t had much to do with the collapse.  We’ll most likely never know, but then again, we also don’t have to now, which is nice.

His name is Mike Adams, and he comes to us from Texas.  The announcement was made a few days ago, and the big, goofy, formal prom teams hold for each player they sign will take place any day now.  The deal is official because that formerly blase part of the process, the health exam, is over, and Mike Adams is free of any Wilton Lopez syndrome.

Symptoms include playing for the Rockies instead of the Phillies for reasons that are shrouded in mystery.

Now, if there’s a weird smell to worry about, we can rest assured that it’s the stench of an atmosphere thick with metaphors.

“Lopez will look mighty nice in red pin stripes” Troy Taormina-US PRESSWIRE

Lopez had a strong season pitching for the lowly Astros. He’s pitched over 60 innings with a sub 3.00 ERA the past three seasons, and racked up 10 saves last year. His ERA+ of 185 was pretty stellar, showing just how dominant he was pitching in the 8th and 9th innings for Houston. The numbers look good on paper, but his most valuable attributes don’t show up in the box score.

Lopez is a sinker ball pitcher, which is invaluable for anyone who pitches at Citizens Bank Park. His ability to keep the ball on the ground will play out extremely well, especially for a team that surrendered a lot of home runs a year ago. Not only is his sinker his best pitch, but he has shown remarkable control with it as well, walking only 8 batters all of last season.

Lopez brings just as much value off the field, as he would be under team control until 2016. He’s arbitration eligible, but he only made 500K last year. Relief is hard to find these days, but cheap relief is even harder. It makes sense that Ruben and the brass would turn to the trade market with free agents getting gobbled up left and right. Former Phillie Ryan Madson signed a one year deal with the Angels, and Jonathan Broxton just re-upped with the Reds. It’s impossible to judge this potential deal fully without knowing what the Phillies are giving up in return, but acquiring a solid 8th inning option behind Papelbon is a good start for the Phillies off-season.