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2007 Jose Lopez finished the season with a performance that was achingly similar to that of his double-play partner, Betancourt, right down to the disappointing defensive numbers. Lopez`s power disappeared after the All-Star break; his second-half isolated power was a mere .051 compared to .174 prior to the midsummer classic. That finish gave him the distinction of concluding the season with the lowest WARP total of any Mariner All-Star ever. The only man who came close to Lopez`s 2.0 WARP was Jeffrey Leonard, who posted a 2.5 WARP in 1989, when his gaudy home run and RBI totals at the half convinced Tony La Russa to put the DH with a .319 OBP on the squad, even though Leonard`s teammate Alvin Davis had a better slugging percentage and an OBP more than 100 points higher. Lopez`s EqA was the lowest for a Mariner All-Star since Harold Reynolds (.246) in 1987. On the positive side, Lopez just turned 23 in November, so there`s still a chance for him to develop into a legitimate All-Star. 2005 We've expressed some doubts about Lopez's age in the past, but it now seems legit. He was overmatched after his promotion as the team disintegrated from injuries and inept management. Defensively, he's weak on the routine plays, blowing catches of easy grounders and throwing balls into the stands. His long term future is at second, and hey—Boone's contract runs out this year.
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