Phillies, Astros Wilton Lopez trade unclear

The status of the trade that was reported yesterday and had right-hander Wilton Lopez heading from the Houston Astros to the Philadelphia Phillies for prospects remains unclear, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:

Status of trade between #Phillies, #Astros unclear. One source insists deal not done and multiple teams remain in mix for Wilton Lopez...

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 29, 2012

One source told Rosenthal that a deal isn’t complete and "multiple teams" remain in the mix to acquire Lopez from the Astros. Others are saying the trade would be a two-for-one deal, with one player possibly going to Houston being right-hander Tyler Cloyd. Rosenthal adds that teams have also discussed the Phillies young catchers.

The Phillies are in the market for bullpen help this offseason, and Lopez has posted solid numbers as a late-inning reliever for the Astros over the past few seasons. Last year the 29-year-old maintained an ERA of 2.17 over 64 appearances spanning 66 1/3 innings. Over four seasons at the major league level he owns a career ERA of 3.14 with 6.8 strikeouts and 1.6 walks per nine innings.