Infielder Jose Lopez is close to a deal with the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball league, according to CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman.
Lopez told reporters he was flying to Houston to take a physical for the team. Last season, he hit .246/.270/.356 in 248 plate appearances with the Indians and White Sox.
Lopez broke into the majors at age 20 with the Mariners in 2004. His best season came in 2009, when he hit .272/.303/.463 with 25 home runs. Lopez also played for the Rockies and Marlins during his nine-year career.
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