Pittsburgh Pirates: 3 Right-Handed Starting Pitchers Still Available in Free Agency to Pursue

Michael Lorenzen

Michael Lorenzen is a name Pirate fans should know well. The soon-to-be 32-year-old righty spent the 7 years of his MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds. Lorenzen then moved on to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2022, and signed with the Detroit Tigers ahead of last season before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Last season, Lorenzen pitched in 29 games with 25 being starts. He posted a 4.18 ERA, 4.46 FIP, 7.5% walk rate, and a 17.8% strikeout rate in 153 innings pitched on his way to posting a career high 2.0 WAR. This included Lorenzen throwing an no-hitter in just his second start with the Phillies.

In his career, Lorenzen has worked as both a relief pitcher and a starting pitcher. The past two seasons, however, he has been a starting pitcher. In his career, Lorenzen has pitched 724 innings in 342 appearances, 69 of which have been starts. Lorenzen owns a 4.11 ERA, 4.32 FIP, 9.4% walk rate, and a 19.6% strikeout rate in his MLB career.

Lorenzen was connected to the Pirates last offseason before signing with Detroit. So, he is a pitcher that Cherington and his staff have had interest in previously. It would not be a surprise at all to see Lorenzen pop up on the Pirate radar once again.