The White Sox have interest in free agent starter Michael Lorenzen, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. The right-hander is arguably the third-best pitcher still on the open market behind Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.
Chicago’s link to Lorenzen comes at a time when trade speculation around staff ace Dylan Cease has been rekindled. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Tuesday afternoon that the Yankees made a new offer for Cease. Not long after, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News and Rosenthal separately indicated the Rangers had interest.
It’s not clear if the Sox’s interest in Lorenzen is strictly contingent on a Cease trade. Yet dealing their projected Opening Day starter would leave Chicago looking for innings, if nothing else. Cease tallied a team-high 177 frames over 33 starts a year ago. He has taken a full series of turns through the rotation in each of the past four seasons. Moving a pitcher with that kind of reliability just weeks before Opening Day could leave the coaching staff struggling to piece together innings.
That’s particularly true given the rotation uncertainty behind Cease. KBO returnee Erick Fedde will occupy a spot in the rotation. The Sox will probably give a rebound opportunity to Michael Kopech, who allowed a 5.43 ERA over 30 appearances last season.
Michael Soroka hasn’t logged an MLB rotation workload in five years, largely on account of two Achilles tears. Chris Flexen allowed 6.86 earned runs per nine a year ago. Jared Shuster had an ERA approaching 6.00 over his first 11 big league starts. Touki Toussaint is better suited for a relief role. Rule 5 pick Shane Drohan will start the year on the injured list, while depth starter Jesse Scholtens underwent Tommy John surgery last month. Garrett Crochet is battling for a rotation spot but would be on an innings limit if he secures a starting job.
Even if the Sox held Cease and signed Lorenzen, they’d be unlikely to have an average rotation. Lorenzen would at least raise the floor and mitigate some concerns the Sox could have about getting through a full season, though. He tossed a career-high 153 frames between the Tigers and Phillies last year. His 4.18 ERA was right around league average but belies a season of extreme peaks and valleys.
Lorenzen earned an All-Star nod with Detroit. He pitched to a 3.58 ERA through 18 starts as a Tiger before being dealt to Philadelphia at the deadline. His first two outings as a Phillie were brilliant, highlighted by a no-hitter against the Nationals on August 9. After that point, he was among the least effective pitchers in the majors. Lorenzen allowed an 8.01 ERA over his last nine appearances. The Phils kicked him to relief and only called upon him twice in the postseason.
It’s possible he wore down as he neared the end of his first full, healthy season as a starting pitcher. That presumably played a role in the extent of his dismal finish, although he never looked likely to sustain the low-3.00s ERA he carried into the middle of August. During his successful run in Detroit, Lorenzen didn’t miss many bats or induce ground-balls at a particularly high clip.
The poor finish has apparently held up his market. Rosenthal reported last week that Lorenzen continued to hold out in search of a two-year contract. He has played the past two seasons on successive one-year guarantees valued at $6.75MM and $8.5MM, respectively. Cease is slated for an $8MM salary for the upcoming season. If signing Lorenzen were conditional on a Cease trade, it’d probably be around neutral from a financial perspective — particularly if Lorenzen does move off his ask for a two-year pact.
Nice to see a team applying pressure, really benefits cws.
Just resign Clevinger
I’ve thought why wouldn’t the giants they often like his profile when looking for short term additions. Not a great look when your previous team isn’t pushing to resign you at a bargain rate like these guys are goin for lately.
Nah. Clevinger had that domestic issue before last season. Bauer virtually the same reason.
Clevinger was cleared… she was a psycho.
@degrom. They went after Trevor over his political beliefs. He was guilty in their minds before any evidence was ever presented.
No one is signing Bauer because he is an a-hole. No one wants an employee who has been an a-hole at every stop. Nothing to do with political beliefs.
Reds, you really need me or anyone else to list the dozens, maybe hundreds of “a-holes” who have played in MLB without repercussion? By your reasoning, Milton Bradley should never have had a major league at bat.
“Anti-vaxxers” casually slipped in with domestic abusers, homophobes and drug cheats LOL someone watches too much MSNBC
Totally understand a man’s attraction to ‘Psycho’women.
My specialty ; best sex….ever !!
Insane, it is a whole different world we live in now with social media.
While MLB has a whole does a horrible job with PR and marketing compared to other sports, individual teams aren’t going to risk alienating their fan base.
“no one wants an employee who has been an a-hole at every stop.”.
Bryce Harper says hold my beer, hitch.
Tim Anderson says hi too.
They should sign him and tell him he can DH a couple times a week.
He wanted to play RF/CF and try to be two way player.
An 8.01 ERA over his final 9 starts? He’s got White Sox written all over him, but not at $6.75M a year. Too rich for jr’s blood.
An ERA in the 8s? He can be the number three starter now that Cease is going to the Padres. But, yes he’s going to have to drop that price tag to about 4.5 to 5 million. If Lorenzen does sign with the White Sox, if his ERA is in the 4s range, he just became a trade chip at the deadline.
The only reason why the 8 ERA exist cause Phillies demoted him to the bullpen late last season after his no hitter.
Also was a 2 WAR player last season.
He can be good enough to be a trade chip at the deadline which I’m all for it. White Sox need to stock up on young talent and this is one way to do it.
I still hope Sox win 65 games.
It’s hard to imagine, the Yankees not willing to top the Rangers offer – even with the Yanks not parting with Jones.
Cashman is spending money in short sighted ways – the Rodon contract was really a terrible idea. How he keeps his job, is a head scratcher.
The Rangers have the better offer than the Rangers. Sox upgrade 2B in Duran and the farm with the two pitching prospects. I don’t mind the offer whatsoever. Brian Cashman is certainly polarizing when discussing GM’s.
The reported Rangers offer is unimpressive.
They may want him, but stay the hell out of here Lorenzen. This the last place you need to be. The market will call you when it’s ready.
Give ML 2/12 if he insists on 2 years. Raising the floor is a real need for the WS, in a non-competitive year. SP depth is nonexistent. Give the younger guys a chance for the occasional W to play for. If he really bombs out, it’s not too a major waste (they’re still giving Leury Garcia $5.5M after all) and someone would grab him for the minimum.
I’d take Lorenzen back in a minute. But they never asked me.
Even for a team that doesn’t spend as much, Lorenzen wouldn’t break the bank for the Reds on a one-year deal.
JR giving approval to pay 8 figures to Lorenzen doesn’t make sense when he is cutting payroll. The team will be poor even in a bad division. He would have his execs use minor leaguers to eat innings.
He’s probably one of the better pitchers in the FA market. 2 year 10m?
He/his agent have been holding out for 2yr deal with starters dropping like flies. Likely 20mil total guaranteed. Same with Clevinger, but more b/c he is better. Can’t blame them b/c urgency doesn’t occur with clubs until their team is losing real games. Same with trade market. Supply is lower than demand.
A) they’ll open like $8.3 in payroll dealing Cease
B)depending on where he is going (Padres also interested), maybe team would have interest in Eloy as well
C) Lorenzen would probably be traded in the middle of the summer so they won’t be on the hook fully for what they agree to
I want to see Garrett Crochet secure a spot.
How many innings can you expect from him? Between college, minor leagues, and MLB dude has thrown like 150 innings over 6 years lol
I think the Texas Rangers story was planted by the White Sox to push the Yankees, who are desperate, and Cease at $8.8 million is absolutely the best they can get right now.
I have no clue what the white sox would want from Yankees. Outside of that your narrative is spot on ! Thats how 1/2 these media stories are produced