Cleveland Guardians Pressed to Poach Starter from Rival Royals

The Cleveland Guardians are being pressed to sign an intriguing free agent starting pitcher.

Oct 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) pitches in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. / Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians have had a very busy offseason over the last week.

They have been able to accomplish their biggest offseason goal, which was to re-sign starting pitcher Shane Bieber. After that, they pulled off a couple of trades that ended up bringing in a young and electrifying pitcher in Luis Ortiz.

Now, the Guardians are being urged to make one more move to solidify their rotation completely.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report is urging Cleveland to sign Kansas City Royals' free agent starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen.

"There's a good debate about whether the Guardians need a bat more than an arm, but I'm deferring to Mandy Bell of MLB.com on this one. And when it comes to hunting for depth pieces on a budget as small as Cleveland's, it's hard to do better than Lorenzen. 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."

Lorenzen would certainly be a quality addition for the Guardians. Being able to take him away from the division rival Royals would make the move feel even sweeter.

Adding a piece like Lorenzen would complete the turnaround from the rotation being a weakness to a strength for Cleveland. That was a big goal for them heading into the offseason.

During the 2024 campaign, Lorenzen ended up making 24 starts and appearing in 26 games split between Kansas City and the Texas Rangers. He compiled a 7-6 record to go along with a 3.31 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, 97 strikeouts, 60 walks, and 130.1 innings pitched.

He may not be a star, but Lorenzen is a very capable back-end of the rotation kind of starter.

This is the kind of move that could help the Guardians be a more serious World Series contender. Having another consistent starting arm can keep the team fresh and come in clutch during the postseason.

All of that being said, this is just a suggestion and Lorenzen has not been actually reported to be a target for Cleveland. However, it would be wise to take a look at him and see what it would cost to bring him onboard.