Yankees Turning to Michael Lorenzen, Mike Clevinger After Whiffing on Dylan Cease
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The New York Yankees are still active in the pitching market.
A long-term injury scare to ace pitcher Gerrit Cole gave the Yankees extra motivation to pursue another starter; as they awaited Cole's MRI results, they re-engaged in trade talks with the Chicago White Sox for starter Dylan Cease.
What followed was some good news and bad news: the bad news was that Cease was no longer an option, as he was traded to the San Diego Padres. But the good news is that Cole doesn't need Tommy John surgery; although he will still miss a month or two at minimum, that's significantly better than not having him at all this year.
Nonetheless, with Cease off the board, the Yankees will go back to the free agent market, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale mentioned that the team will likely pursue All-Star Michael Lorenzen, but added that Mike Clevinger is also an option, while Blake Snell could be one if his asking price drops.
Lorenzen was named an All-Star for the first time in his career last season with the Detroit Tigers; making 18 starts, he logged 105.2 innings with a 3.58 ERA. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at the deadline and struggled there, especially with his command, but tossed a no-hitter in his first start with them.
As for Clevinger, he pitched with Cease on the White Sox last year and improved on a down 2022 season. He threw 131.1 innings with a 3.77 ERA, and struck out 110 batters against 40 walks.
Regarding Snell, he is an ace-caliber option unlike Lorenzen and Clevinger. However, his price tag is far too high for the Yankees' liking, and he will almost certainly sign elsewhere.
Ultimately, Lorenzen and Clevinger would be solid but unspectacular additions to the Yankees' rotation if they are to pursue them. While their ceilings aren't particularly high at the moment, the Yankees do need a pitcher that has a high floor; the current state of the rotation (minus Cole) consists of pitchers with very high upside, but may have issues with either consistency or availability. To keep the rotation stable, perhaps a middle or lower-end of the rotation starter is just what the Yankees need.
But regardless of who the Yankees would prefer, they need to pursue and sign them quickly, as Opening Day is less than two weeks away.
