Minnesota Twins acquire Baltimore Orioles closer Jorge Lopez for four MLB prospects

The Baltimore Orioles are contending for a wild-card spot, but that hasn’t stopped them from letting players go at the MLB trade deadline this season. A day after sending Trey Mancini to the Houston Astros, the Orioles traded closer Jorge Lopez to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Lopez is in the middle of a breakout season, with a sparkling 1.68 ERA and 19 of his 20 career saves.

“Just completely life-changing. I’m just really thankful for the Orioles and what they’ve been doing, and I’m glad it’s coming to a new chapter with Minnesota Twins,’’ Lopez said on a conference call with reporters before a scheduled flight to Minnesota. “They’ve got a really good group, and I’m going to do anything I can to keep competing.’‘