Former Royals starter targeted by KC division rival

The Kansas City Royals made a number of moves throughout last season to bolster their roster before the playoffs, and not all of those new additions are locked in to return in 2025. Now, instead of re-signing with KC, one former Royal could find a new home with a division rival — the Cleveland Guardians.

On November 25, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand named starter Michael Lorenzen as a "free agent who could make sense" for the Guardians to sign this offseason.

"The potential loss of Shane Bieber and Matthew Boyd will leave Cleveland not only with holes to fill in the rotation, but also a veteran presence on the staff," Feinsand wrote. "Lorenzen pitched well for the Rangers (3.81 ERA in 101 2/3 innings) and even better for the Royals (1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 innings) following a midseason trade, though a hamstring injury kept him out for most of September."

Lorenzen bolstered KC Royals' rotation in 2024

With the Royals looking to add depth to their starting rotation for the run down the stretch, they traded fan-favorite prospect Walter Pennington to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Lorenzen on July 29.

In 28.2 regular-season innings, Lorenzen went 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts for the Royals, holding opposing batters to an average of just .183. He made two appearances out of the bullpen during the team's postseason campaign, posting a 3.86 ERA with 3 strikeouts.

Before the 2024 season, Lorenzen signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Rangers, meaning that he became a free agent after the World Series. Because he wasn't continuously with the Royals organization from Opening Day until the end of the regular season, he wasn't eligible to receive a qualifying offer from Kansas City.

Of course, it's not entirely out of the question for the Royals to re-sign Lorenzen for 2025, especially after the team traded away Singer on November 22. Still, it's unlikely, especially since general manager J.J. Picollo said the front office is "very comfortable with our starting pitching right now" when asked at the annual GM Meetings in early November.

"You’ve got Wacha, Lugo, Ragans, Singer, Marsh. Kris Bubic was in the bullpen this past year, but we believe he’s a starter," Picollo said. "Daniel Lynch went to the bullpen and did a nice job, but he’s another one who could be a starter. We don’t expect to be in the market for a starter moving forward.”

So could Lorenzen now sign with the Guardians?

Cleveland has a number of holes to fill in the team's roster before Opening Day, and starting pitching is arguably the most pressing. With Sportrac projecting the veteran will sign a two-year, $15.6 million deal this winter, Lorenzen is a budget-friendly option that would allow the Guardians to continue adding more talent without breaking the bank.

If the Royals want Lorenzen back in their rotation for 2025, they'll have to move quickly. Having said that, it's far more likely the starter will be pitching elsewhere next season.