MLB
Nicky Lopez
Nicky Lopez
Chicago White Sox, Shortstop
Age: 29-232d (Mar 13, 1995)
Exp: 5.139 Years
Country: US
College: Creighton (NE)
Drafted: Round 5 (#163 overall), 2016
Agent(s): Octagon
2025 Payroll Salary
$4,650,000
2025 Cash
$4,650,000
Career Earnings
$12,017,150
2025-2025 Arbitration (CURRENT)
Nicky Lopez signed a 1 year , $4,650,000 contract with the Chicago White Sox, including $4,650,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $4,650,000. In 2025, Lopez will earn a base salary of $4,650,000, while carrying a total salary of $4,650,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $4,650,000
Average Salary:
$4,650,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
Free Agent:
2026 / UFA
| Year | Age | Status | PayrollAnnual | Luxury Tax | Tax % League Tax | Cash Annual | Cash Cumulative | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
|
30 |
Estimate
|
$4,650,000 | $4,650,000 | 1.93% | $4,650,000 | $4,650,000 |
| 2026 |
|
31 |
UFA |
| Year | Age | Service | Status | Base Salary | Incentives Likely | Incentives Unlikely | Payroll Salary | Luxury Tax | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
|
30 | 5.139 |
Estimate
|
$4,650,000 | - | - | $4,650,000 | $4,650,000 |
| 2026 |
|
31 | -- |
UFA |
| Year | Age | Status | Base Salary | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | AYC Cumulative | AYC Remaining | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
|
30 |
Estimate |
$4,650,000 | $4,650,000 | $4,650,000 | $4,650,000 | $4,650,000 |
Source:
MLB contract specifics generally collected from verified reports.
2024-2024 Arbitration
Nicky Lopez signed a 1 year , $4,300,000 contract with the Chicago White Sox, including $4,300,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $4,300,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $4,300,000
Average Salary:
$4,300,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
Free Agent:
2026 / UFA
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2023-2023 Arbitration
Nicky Lopez signed a 1 year , $3,700,000 contract with the Kansas City Royals, including $3,700,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $3,700,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $3,700,000
Average Salary:
$3,700,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
Free Agent:
2026 / UFA
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2022-2022 Arbitration
Nicky Lopez signed a 1 year , $2,550,000 contract with the Kansas City Royals, including $2,550,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $2,550,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $2,550,000
Average Salary:
$2,550,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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2021-2021 Pre-Arb
Nicky Lopez signed a 1 year , $597,500 contract with the Kansas City Royals, including $597,500 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $597,500.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $597,500
Average Salary:
$597,500
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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2020-2020 Pre-Arb
Nicky Lopez signed a 1 year , $571,250 contract with the Kansas City Royals, including $571,250 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $571,250.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $571,250
Average Salary:
$571,250
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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2019-2019 Pre-Arb
Nicky Lopez signed a 1 year , $555,000 contract with the Kansas City Royals, including $555,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $555,000.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $555,000
Average Salary:
$555,000
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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2016-2016 Signing Bonus
Nicky Lopez signed a 1 year , $243,300 contract with the Kansas City Royals, including $243,300 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $243,300.
Contract Terms:
1 yr(s) / $243,300
Average Salary:
$243,300
Signing Bonus:
N/A
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Seasons
5.139 Years
Career Earnings thru 2025
$12,017,150
Earnings w/ Different Teams
3 teams
Earnings Per Year
| Year | Age | Team(s) | Status | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 21 |
|
Signing Bonus
|
$243,300 |
$243,300 |
|
| 2019 | 24 |
|
Active
|
$414,776 |
$658,076 |
|
| 2020 | 25 |
|
Active
|
$211,574 |
$869,650 |
|
| 2021 | 26 |
|
Active
|
$597,500 |
$1,467,150 |
|
| 2022 | 27 |
|
Active / arbitration-settlement
|
$2,550,000 |
$4,017,150 |
|
| 2023 | 28 |
 |
Active / Arb Avoided
Retained
|
$1,233,304 $2,466,696 |
$5,250,454 $7,717,150 |
|
| 2024 | 29 |
|
Active / Arb Avoided
|
$4,300,000 |
$12,017,150 |
|
| Total |
$12,017,150 |
$12,017,150 |
||||
| 2025 | 30 |
|
Active / estimate-arbitration
|
$4,650,000 |
||
| Total |
$16,667,150 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |
|
$6,240,546 | $243,300 | - | $6,483,846 |
| 1 |
|
$1,233,304 | - | - | $1,233,304 |
| 1 |
|
$4,300,000 | - | - | $4,300,000 |
| Year | Team(s) | Age | Base | Signing | Incentives | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
|
21 |
$243,300 |
$243,300 |
$243,300 |
||
| 2019 |
|
24 |
$414,776
|
$414,776 |
$658,076 |
||
| 2020 |
|
25 |
$211,574
|
$211,574 |
$869,650 |
||
| 2021 |
|
26 |
$597,500
|
$597,500 |
$1,467,150 |
||
| 2022 |
|
27 |
$2,550,000
|
$2,550,000 |
$4,017,150 |
||
| 2023 |
|
28 |
$1,233,304 $2,466,696
|
$1,233,304 $2,466,696 |
$5,250,454 $7,717,150 |
||
| 2024 |
|
29 |
$4,300,000
|
$4,300,000 |
$12,017,150 |
||
| Total |
$11,773,850 |
$243,300 |
$12,017,150 |
$12,017,150 |
|||
| 2025 |
|
30 |
$4,650,000
|
$4,650,000 |
|||
| Total |
$16,423,850 |
$243,300 |
$16,667,150 |
Earnings Per Team
| Years | Team | Base | Signing | Incentives | Cash Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |
|
$6,240,546 | $243,300 | - | $6,483,846 |
| 1 |
|
$1,233,304 | - | - | $1,233,304 |
| 1 |
|
$4,300,000 | - | - | $4,300,000 |
Injuries
| Year | Dates | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |
KC |
May 02, 2023 - May 22, 2023 | Appendix |
-
Jan 11, 2024
Signed a 1 year $4.3 million contract with Chicago (CHW), avoiding arbitration
-
Nov 17, 2023
Traded to Chicago (CHW) from Atlanta (ATL) with Michael Soroka , Jared Shuster , Braden Shewmake and Riley Gowens for Aaron Bummer
-
Jul 31, 2023
Traded to Atlanta (ATL) from Kansas City (KC) for Taylor Hearn
-
Jan 13, 2023
Signed a 1 year $3.7 million contract with Kansas City (KC), avoiding arbitration
-
Jun 17, 2022
Signed a 1 year $2.55 million contract with Kansas City (KC), settling in arbitration
-
Mar 01, 2021
Signed a 1 year $597,500 contract with Kansas City (KC)
-
Mar 05, 2020
Signed a 1 year $571,250 contract with Kansas City (KC)
-
Jun 17, 2016
Signed a contract with Kansas City (KC)
-
Jun 10, 2016
Drafted by Kansas City (KC): Round 5 (#163 overall)
| Year | Team | GP | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | BB | K | SB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | CHW | 124 | 111 | 439 | 398 | 40 | 96 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 117 | 37 | 67 | 5 | .241 | .312 | .294 | .606 | 0.25 |
| 2023 | ATL | 94 | 70 | 258 | 225 | 32 | 52 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 69 | 26 | 40 | 6 | .231 | .326 | .307 | .633 | 1.04 |
| 2022 | KC | 142 | 127 | 470 | 436 | 51 | 100 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 120 | 29 | 63 | 13 | .229 | .283 | .275 | .558 | -0.26 |
| 2021 | KC | 151 | 144 | 553 | 497 | 78 | 149 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 43 | 188 | 49 | 74 | 22 | .300 | .365 | .378 | .743 | 4.38 |
| 2020 | KC | 56 | 51 | 189 | 169 | 15 | 34 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 45 | 18 | 41 | 0 | .201 | .286 | .266 | .552 | 0.29 |
| 2019 | KC | 103 | 100 | 398 | 379 | 44 | 91 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 123 | 18 | 51 | 1 | .240 | .276 | .325 | .601 | -0.24 |
Calculated Market Value
Market Value
- 2 years, $11,588,400
- Avg. Salary: $5,794,200
- MLB Rank: 220
- SS Rank: 16
Current Contract
- Free Agent: 2026
- Avg. Salary: $4,650,000
- MLB Rank: 254
- SS Rank: 19
Comparable Players
We've selected the following players based on their age, contract status, and statistical production to compare Nicky Lopez to.
| Player | Length | Value | Avg. Salary | Age When Signed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Hedges | 1 | $4,000,000 | $4,000,000 | 31 |
| Victor Caratini | 2 | $12,000,000 | $6,000,000 | 30 |
| Harrison Bader | 1 | $10,500,000 | $10,500,000 | 29 |
| Isiah Kiner-Falefa | 2 | $15,000,000 | $7,500,000 | 28 |
| Averages | 2 | $10,375,000 | $7,000,000 | 29.5 |
Base Calculated Value
After adjusting the above contracts as if signed at Lopez's current age (29), a linear regression is performed, providing us with the following initial value.
| Length | Value | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $10,800,000 | $5,400,000 |
Statistical Comparisons
Now we'll compare our variables and Lopez statistically over the two seasons prior to their signing. In this case we're analyzing: GP%, H/Gm, RBI/Gm, K/Gm, AVG/Yr, OPS, WOBP, ISO, WAR
| Player | GP% | H/Gm | RBI/Gm | K/Gm | AVG/Yr | OPS | WOBP | ISO | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Austin Hedges
2022-2023
|
57.72 | 0.44 | 0.25 | 0.67 | 0.17 | 0.48 | 0.23 | 0.06 | -1.69 |
|
Victor Caratini
2022-2023
|
48.77 | 0.67 | 0.37 | 0.71 | 0.23 | 0.68 | 0.32 | 0.13 | 1.49 |
|
Harrison Bader
2022-2023
|
56.79 | 0.80 | 0.38 | 0.66 | 0.24 | 0.64 | 0.29 | 0.11 | 1.56 |
|
Isiah Kiner-Falefa
2022-2023
|
79.08 | 0.80 | 0.33 | 0.55 | 0.25 | 0.64 | 0.30 | 0.08 | 2.08 |
| Average | 60.59 | 0.68 | 0.33 | 0.65 | 0.22 | 0.61 | 0.29 | 0.10 | 0.86 |
|
Nicky Lopez
2023-2024
|
67.08 | 0.68 | 0.21 | 0.49 | 0.24 | 0.62 | 0.30 | 0.06 | 1.91 |
| Pct Change | 10.71 | 0.00 | -36.36 | 24.62 | 7.27 | 1.64 | 4.14 | -40.00 | 122.09 |
| Median Prime % Change | 4.14% | ||||||||
| Average Prime % Change | 10.46% | ||||||||
Calculated Market Value: Nicky Lopez
After applying our Prime % figures into our base calculated value, we're given two values. The average of these values becomes our current calculated market value.
| Terms | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|
| 2 years, $11,588,400 | $5,794,200 |
