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June 15, 2006
MINNEAPOLIS -- Javier Lopez will be here tonight and available to pitch in tonight's game against the Twins. He will wear No. 48.
General manager Theo Epstein, in a conference call discussing the Lopez-for-David Riske trade, admits that building a bullpen is ''not something we’ve been particularly good at lately''. But he thinks Lopez will help, because he describes the left-hander as ''a guy who's a very uncomfortable at-bat for lefties, but he's not a guy you have to always yank out of there after a third of an inning. The way our bullpen's evolved, there's certainly a role for somebody like that.''
He said Riske was expendable because ''he was certainly behind other right-handers in a similar role.''
''In the long run,'' added Epstein, ''clearing up a bit of that logjam will help us get a look at some younger guys that we want to see pitch in the big leagues.''
It is known the Sox have been after Lopez for a while, and those efforts to acquire him intensified when Keith Foulke went on the disabled list. Peter Gammons said today on WEEI that the White Sox originally wanted Rudy Seanez, but the Red Sox refused to trade him.
Epstein also said the team is actively seeking to acquire another starting pitcher, either from within or outside the organization, and ''we are exploring all options.''
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