After going unclaimed off waivers, Lopez will remain in the Atlanta organization as a depth catcher in the high minors. Since Gwinnett teammate Alex Jackson already has a spot on the 40-man roster, he'll presumably rank ahead of Lopez for a promotion in the event the big club requires another catcher beyond Brian McCann and Tyler Flowers.

The Braves purchased the contracts of Josh Tomlin and Matt Joyce and needed to clear a 40-man roster spot. Lopez will serve as organizational depth if he passes through waivers.

Lopez was never likely to crack the Braves' catching duo of Tyler Flowers and Brian McCann. He'll be ready at the Triple-A level should one of that pair get injured, but his .184/.270/.322 line in 76 big-league games means he's unlikely to be much of a fantasy asset when called upon.

Lopez spent a majority of the past season at the Triple-A level, though he did play in 37 games for the Padres while serving as a reserve catcher. He slashed just .176/.265/.284 with three home runs and 13 RBI in those contests. The 31-year-old shouldn't be counted on to provide much value for fantasy purposes moving forward. Lopez will add depth at the catching position for Atlanta while this move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the Padres.