Royals Veteran Linked To Athletics As Possible Free Agent Fit
The Kansas City Royals starting rotation was their strength in 2024. The moves to sign Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo proved fruitful as they rose from 106 losses in 2023 to 86 wins and an American League Wild Card spot.
Along the way, they added right-hander Michael Lorenzen in a trade with the Texas Rangers. Lorenzen, however, is now a free agent and in all likelihood, his time with the Royals has come to an end, at least for now.
Zachary D. Rymer predicted that the veteran would ultimately sign with the Athletics for one year and $6 million.
"It says a lot about the state of starting pitching that a guy with 283 1/3 innings over the last two seasons looks like an iron man. But that's no knock on Lorenzen, who can notably function as a starter or as a reliever," Rymer wrote.
"He can have an iffy relationship with the strike zone, but his best quality is knowing which of his many pitches is working at any moment. He has seven, with his changeup (+9) and four-seamer (+%) providing the most run value in 2024."
Lorenzen appeared in 26 games with the Rangers and Royals, with 24 of them being starts. In those outings, the veteran right-hander went 7-6 with a 3.31 ERA. He also struck out 97 batters over 130 1/3 innings of work and posted a 2.6 WAR.
Losing him shouldn't hurt the Royals, as they already re-signed right-hander Michael Wacha to a three-year, $51 million contract.
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Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.