The Pittsburgh Pirates have inquired about free agent right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen. This could be another addition to the starting rotation or bullpen that could help this team for the 2022 season.
Michael Lorenzen interested in pitching and playing outfield in 2022
The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of four teams that have inquired about right-handed pitcher, Michael Lorenzen according Joe Doyle, Director of MLB draft at ProspectsLive.com. The other teams interested are the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and the San Francisco Giants.
Lorenzen would like to have a chance to be a starter for the 2022 season. It is also believed he “wants to get regular at bats as an outfielder,” per Doyle. This could be a win-win for the Pirates if they sign him for next season. The Pittsburgh Pirates could save a roster spot and also add another viable pitcher to the rotation.
Michael Lorenzen can swing the bat when at the plate. In his 7-year career Lorenzen has had 133 at-bats with a total of 31 hits. Of those 31 hits, he has 3 doubles,1 triple, and 7 home runs. He has walked 7 times with 47 strikeouts.
It would be interesting to see what his stats would look like if he became a regular at the plate. He has shown he can hit for power and with the lack of depth in the outfield, I wouldn’t mind giving him a shot.
As a pitcher, Lorenzen has a career record of 23-23 with a 4.07 ERA in 295 games. He has only started in 26 of those games however. in 473.1 innings, Lorenzen has a strikeout total of 406. Last year he pitched in 27 games and had a 4 saves. His ERA was a 5.59 in 29.0 innings pitched with just 21 strikeouts. He finished the season with a 16.8% strikeout rate and walked batters 11.2% of the time.
Lorenzen is a guy I would take a chance on if I was the Pirates. He is a low risk signing that could surprise some people with the bat. The Pirates are lacking in pitching and outfielders, so why not give Lorenzen a chance at both?