It's been a career season for Kyle Lohse, but despite that fact the right-hander informs Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that he has yet to receive an offer from the Cardinals (audio link). Lohse says he's begun to think about new places to play, and that his wife and two children will factor into his decision. Bowden also tweets that GM John Mozeliak feels it will be difficult to re-sign Lohse because the 34-year-old has emerged as a big-game pitcher.
Lohse fired a career-high 211 innings this season, adding career bests in ERA (2.86) and BB/9 (1.6) as well. His 6.1 K/9 was his best strikeout rate since 2006 with the Twins and Reds.
That the Cardinals have yet to make an offer isn't necessarily a shock. The team is still in the playoffs and likely focused on the NLCS currently. Beyond that, they possess enviable pitching depth with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Jake Westbrook, Shelby Miller, Lance Lynn and Trevor Rosenthal all presenting rotation options in 2013.
It seems likely that Lohse will receive a qualifying offer — a notion which more than 74 percent of MLBTR readers agreed upon in this September poll. Lohse is finishing a four-year deal that paid him $41MM, and he could seek a similar payday in free agency. He'll join Zack Greinke, Ryan Dempster, Anibal Sanchez, Edwin Jackson and Shaun Marcum on the free agent market. Names like Jake Peavy and Dan Haren are reportedly likely to hit the market as well after team options on the right-handers are declined.
Out of all times, he says this now?
Lohse has been stellar where he is. not necessary St. Lou, but in a deep rotation. he’ll get bids from arm-starved teams like Brewers, Twins, Rockies, Pirates, Marlins, maybe Jays, Red Sox, where he will become over-relied on and therefore over-valued. might be a good fit for O’s or Nats.
I think he would be a really good fit for the Royals.
this makes no sense..
what does his performance have to do with the other starters? how would a ‘pitch starved team cause him to be over relied’.. will he have to make more starts or something on short rest?
Brewers are far from arm starved. They had 3 rookies in Fiers, Rogers and Peralta combine for 34 starts and post a combined ERA of 3.59 and fan 199 in 195 2/3 innings. Rogers and Peralta throw in the mid 90’s. Marco Estrada posted an ERA of 3.64 in 23 starts with more than a strikeout per inning (143 in 138 IP). They also are getting back Chris Narveson who won 23 games combined in 2010 and 2011.
That’s not to say they won’t look at adding a veteran, but not one in his 30’s seeking a long term deal. They’ve been down that route with the Suppan and Wolf in the past but they didn’t have young pitching then like they do now.
As a redsox fan why doesnt the fo go get loshe peevy and haren. Paired with lester bucholz lackey dubrount and morales. Dubrount starts in AAA morales in bp. It would be no number 1 but lots of 2,3,4.
Yeah Lohse is a great pitcher, but the Cardinals have a very deep system of pitchers. I would love to see Lohse come back, but I don’t think they will spend money that they don’t need to spend.
I’m really starting to resent the Westbrook re-signing. Even with Garcia out, Wainwright, Carpenter, Lynn, Miller, and Kelly looks fine to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if Westbrook goes to the pen when Garcia gets back (if he isn’t traded for some bench help this offseason).
Yeah, but he could have avoided the question. But like you said, not that big of a deal.
Two postseasons in a row, Westbrook can’t participate as a starter. Last year he wasn’t pitching well so Tony went with a 4-man rotation; this year he’s taking forever to get over an oblique strain & didn’t pitch well consistently even when he was making his starts. At the time they re-signed Westbrook, I said i’d rather have Lohse back & now it’s even more clear he is the better option. If the Cards would have nagotiated an extension w/ Lohse a month or 2 ago, I think it’s possible he would have taken less to stay here. He did that 4 years ago. But now? I doubt he’d give them a deal. He’s already had to adjust to the idea of leaving. Cards do a poor job w/ their impending free agents, imo. Don’t assume things Mo, talk to the player or call their agents. What do you have to lose by simply having a conversation?
Lohse is not a great pitcher. Look at his career numbers. Eventually he’ll regress to his norm.