Could Michael Lorenzen be a trade chip for the KC Royals at the MLB trade deadline?

Thanks to a spectacular winning streak this past week, the Kansas City Royals are back in the playoff picture just in time to save the season. For a while there, it looked like this version of the Royals was going to look like the one we’ve seen far too often over the last couple of decades.

Before that winning streak, the club suffered a six-game losing streak that highlighted several weaknesses. Chief among those, even with all the winning, is the lack of a consistent offense. In particular, the lack of a slugger. And that’s where Michael Lorenzen enters the chat.

KC Royals must decide whether Michael Lorenzen is a trade chip or playoff anchor

Whether the KC Royals are buyers or sellers at the deadline this July, Lorenzen may be at the center of any and all trade talks, with outlets like ESPN even tabbing his a potential trade candidate in a recent article. 

Should the Royals be looking to sell, his departure is obviously far more likely. The veteran reliever is earning $5.5 million this year and while he’s technically got a mutual option, should it be picked up, his salary would jump to $12 million according to Spotrac. That makes it extremely unlikely Kansas City will indeed pick it up.

Lorenzen has pitched well so far this year. He’s only got a 2-3 record, thanks to the aforementioned inconsistent offense, but he’s boasting a 3.90 ERA and 3.90 FIP with a respectable 4.22 xFIP that shows that earned run average is legit.

While a team like the Royals is loath to trade away such a valuable property, it’s worth pointing out that the team’s rotation has been very, very good on the whole. The rotation is 11th in baseball in xFIP and seventh in K percentage. They could possibly stand to lose a starting pitcher, should the right trade for a slugger come along.

Granted, it’s certainly not all that often that two contenders agree to trade one of their better hitters for one of the other team’s better pitchers. But with so many playoff spots up for grabs, such a swap could help push both teams over the top. 

What is clear is that when the trade deadline does roll around, the KC Royals are going to have big decisions to make. It feels like Michael Lorenzen will be at the center of them, either way.