Javier Lopez announces retirement

Javier Lopez, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Giants, will not move on to another team. According to Ken Rosenthal, Lopez is retiring.

“More than anything, it’s just time,” Lopez said. “It’s a young man’s game. Although I think I can compete, it’s getting harder and harder to get ready for spring.

When the Giants traded for Lopez in 2010, I hated the trade. Hated, hated, hated it. I was convinced that it was impossible for a left-handed reliever, someone who pitched for a third of an inning every other game, to have a measurable impact on a pennant race. This is because I was stupid. But it’s also because I hadn’t seen a lefty specialist do what Lopez did, possible because it had…