Three potential starting pitchers the Pirates could conside
Throughout the offseason, the importance of adding to the starting rotation has been acknowledged by members of both the Pirates’ front office and coaching staff.
Marco Gonzalez and Martin Perez were offseason additions, but there is still a need for more starting pitching depth heading into spring training. Mitch Keller, Gonzalez and Perez are all but locked into starting roles, while a few in-house options are set to battle for the final two spots in the rotation.
Could we still see a name added to the mix via free agency?
Could we still see a name added to the mix via free agency?
Let’s take a look at three potential targets the Pirates could realistically consider:
MICHAEL LORENZEN
Lorenzen, 32, is a free agent after a career year that saw him split time between the Tigers and Phillies.
He made a career-high 29 appearances and 25 starts, boasting a 4.18 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He wasn’t blowing guys away with his 6.5 K/9 rate and 111 strikeouts in a career-high 153 innings, but he did show quality command with a 2.8 BB/9.
Lorenzen was at his best through his 18-outing stretch with the Tigers, a stint that included his first ever All-Star selection. He posted a 3.58 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP with 83 strikeouts and 27 walks in 105 2/3 innings.
He did struggle down the stretch after a trade-deadline deal to Philadelphia. After two strong starts that included a no-hitter against Washington on Aug.9, Lorenzen allowed three or more earned runs in five consecutive starts before making four straight relief appearances to end the season.
Lorenzen brings with him a seven-pitch repertoire that includes a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup and sinker. He benefitted from relying heavily on his fastball and slider last season, averaging 94.3 mph and 85.2 with those
respective pitches. He relied on his fastball 34.7% of the time, while turning to his slider (23.2%) and changeup (21.6%) to often mix things up. Opposing hitters were limited to a .211 clip against his fastball, as well as averages of .242 against his slider and .186 against his changeup.
While he failed to impress in the final month and a half of the season, Lorenzen may still be worth a look here, especially if he could replicate the success he found in Detroit.
And if the Pirates were to decide to go in another direction in terms of the starting rotation, Lorenzen could be a candidate for relief work after spending a majority of his seven-year career with the Reds in the bullpen
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