Having finished the regular season 31-29, the Reds are gearing up for their first playoff appearance since 2013. However the postseason ends for the club, though, it will face important questions in its starting rotation heading into 2021. National League Cy Young candidate Trevor Bauer (whom the Reds unsurprisingly want to re-sign) and fellow right-hander Anthony DeSclafani are due to become free agents in a couple months, so Cincinnati will have questions to address in its starting staff.
Fortunately for the Reds, they do have a few notable starters locked into spots going into next year. Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle and Wade Miley are slated to remain in place, so the Reds are already in better shape than a lot of teams even if they lose Bauer and/or DeSclafani. But if a worst-case scenario happens and both players depart, the Reds are interested in moving reliever Michael Lorenzen to their rotation, Bobby Nightengale of the Cinncinati Enquirer relays.
“He’s put himself in that conversation,” pitching coach Derek Johnson said of Lorenzen. “Where we need to go depends on who is going to come back, who we’re going to get.”
Lorenzen first debuted in 2015, a year in which he amassed 21 starts in 27 appearances, but has largely served as a bullpen piece since then. The 28-year-old has been a useful member of the Reds’ staff throughout his career, having pitched to a 3.97 ERA/4.28 FIP with 7.8 K/9, 3.71 BB/9 and a 48.5 percent groundball rate across 444 1/3 innings. Lorenzen’s also known for his prowess at the plate (at least, compared to most pitchers), but if he moves into a starting role next year and the universal DH sticks around, at-bats could be hard to come by for him.
oh i thought he was a free agent. well, this would help him get ABs.
Yes, it is probable if the Reds cannot sign Bauer.
Even if Bauer stays, I expect this to happen because I doubt Disco is signed back. I do like Lorenzen as a starting option though, he’s shown some really good stuff. Him and Mahle would make for an interesting back-end of the rotation.
Lorenzen has shown that he is much more valuable as a starter than a reliever. He is the fastest guy on the team, so if he is a starter that is 80% of the games that he is available as a pinch runner right there. If he is in the pen, you couldn’t use him most of the time because you might use him on the mound. He would also be available to be a defensive replacement in CF more often. Plus, there is the far more important fact that he prefers starting and pitches better as a starter than a reliever.
Curious if there might be any concerns with him using his arm in CF if he’s also recovering/preparing for long outings in the rotation.
Well said Hiflew. I totally agree with you.
So much for my Lucas Sims hopes, I suppose (though he has taken to relieving rather well).
Why would Wade Miley being locked in for 2021 be considered a positive? He turns 34 in November and had a 5.65 ERA this season in 14.1 innings. The Reds strength is starting pitching. Losing Bauer and DeSclafani and replacing them with just Lorenzen won’t be nearly enough to maintain that strength.
Nick Lodolo is also an option, though probably not to start the year.
Very polished lefty prospect.
Check out his last few seasons. He’s still a useful back end rotation piece, esp since he’s a lefty. He only made 2 starts and a few relief appearances because of injuries this year. I’d rather see him than Mikey Biceps. Lorenzen wasn’t good in the rotation and he’s been decent but uneven in the bullpen.
Plus he’s under contract.
Have him start and DH
He could be what we all hoped Shohei Ohtani was going to be.
(Insert sarcasm here.)
I thought this is what they were working toward. Strong kid, hard worker.
If Trevor the ‘candidate’ doesn’t win the CY,
1) We will get awesome content
2) the league was responsible
Degrom will get it again. Nobody likes guys who toot their own horn like Trevor.
If kershaw wasn’t given it 3 years in a row while actually being the best pitcher in the game for (more than) that whole time, Degrom shouldn’t get it for NOT being the best pitcher 3 years straight
He didnt earn it this year..
It’s very unlikely that FO will be able to resign Bauer, while DeSclafani doesn’t look a QO candidate. Lorenzen is a strong candidate for next year’s rotation.
There’s also been talk of Tejay Antone being a viable candidate for SP. I also have to wonder what Hunter Greene’s status is at this point, by next spring he should be ready for some looks.
Keep him in bullpen, starting five Grey, Castillo, Mahle, Antone, Bauer if signed, or one of the kids, Greene or Lodolo, Disco faded and they still need arms in BP, Miley didn’t show so well,
Back to the Future with Lorenzen. Maybe Garrett and a re-signed Bob make a run ;)
The Reds seemingly have a two-headed rotation philosophy:
1) Ride the hot hand at the back end; that’s common, though short-sighted.
2) Sign a veteran, DOA lefty
If Lodolo isn’t ready give AG another shot as he has the pitch mix.
A new deal for Bauer has the benefits of he’s a tone-setting warrior. Refuse to lose and the team has bought in…
In my opinion, Lorenzen is better suited for the bullpen. He doesn’t have the composure, or to be honest, the array of quality of pitches to be a viable long-term, dependable starter. In multiple games this year, things wouldn’t go his way and he would come unraveled and blow up. Starters need to be able to be mentally stronger and endure bad breaks, bloop hits, etc. and regroup and push through. At this point he doesn’t have that ability and is better suited to be quickly replaced on those days out of the bullpen. He also would not go very deep in games because he tries to strike everyone out vs. pitching to soft contact. He looks like a 4-5 innings per start guy with a lot of ups and downs. Keep him in the bullpen!
If the Reds are willing to make a competitive offer for Bauer then there’s no reason why they wouldn’t use all or some of that money on a better SP option than Lorenzen if Bauer goes elsewhere.
The reds are going to let Bauer go and pick up Homer Bailey.
I don’t think so they took on too much too get rid of him the 1st time, everyone’s gone except Farmer I think
Lorenzen’s doesn’t have enough different types of quality pitches to be a starter. His main pitch is a slider. If the Reds do try him as a starter his are will be shot in no time.