Royals $4.5 Million Reliable Veteran Predicted To Defect To Division-Rival Guardians
In this story:
There's one intriguing ex-Kansas City Royals free agent still on the market, especially given what the Royals have done thus far during the offseason.
The Royals' rotation was one of their biggest strengths during the 2024 season, but they cut into their own depth by trading away Brady Singer for new second baseman Jonathan India. Now, it's reasonable to wonder whether or not they will bring back a recent trade deadline acquisition.
Though he sustained an injury after arriving in Kansas City, Michael Lorenzen was a solid pickup for the Royals in 2024. He took over the number-five starter role in the latter portion of the regular season, then moved to the bullpen during the playoffs.
For a low-budget signing, Lorenzen would fit a lot of teams. He made just $4.5 million on a one-year contract with the Royals and Texas Rangers in 2024, and should be available for a similar price, perhaps slightly adjusted for the inflation of starting pitching contracts this winter.
On Monday, Zachary D. Rymer predicted that the righty would ditch his former team for one of their chief rivals. Rymer named Lorenzen as the most realistic signing for the Cleveland Guardians, who are short on starting pitching in their own right, for the 2025 season.
"When it comes to hunting for depth pieces on a budget as small as Cleveland's, it's hard to do better than Lorenzen," Rymer said.
"He's perfectly viable as a No. 5 starter, which is what the Guardians need right now. Whenever Shane Bieber is ready to return from Tommy John surgery, Lorenzen could then be used as a long reliever and spot starter."
In 2024, Lorenzen totaled 130 1/3 innings pitched, a 7-6 record, a 3.31 ERA, and 2.6 bWAR. That's well worth the price of another one-year deal, and either the Guardians or Royals would be smart to offer it to him.
Will Lorenzen be helping the Royals continue to chase their championship dreams in 2025, or will he be working directly against them? The next few weeks could provide the answer to that intriguing question.
More MLB: Royals Predicted To Land Intriguing $3 Million Ex-Mariners Spark Plug In Free Agency
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
Follow jrobertsbsbl