Veteran pitcher identified as potential fit for Guardians' rotation

The starting rotation of the Cleveland Guardians is still an incomplete group. Even after the acquisition of Luis Ortiz from the Pittsburgh Pirates last week, Cleveland's rotation would be in much better shape with the acquisition of another arm, and one such arm was recently identified as a potential fit.

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer recently put together 1 Realistic Free-Agent Signing to Fix Every MLB Team's Biggest Roster Hole, naming veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen as a fit for Cleveland. Lorenzen may not be the most exciting name that the Guardians could potentially add, but this is more about stabilizing the back end of the rotation as Rymer would note, "He's perfectly viable as a No. 5 starter, which is what the Guardians need right now.".

Lorenzen is coming off a strong finish to the 2024 season, compiling a 1.57 ERA and 1.081 WHIP in seven appearances (six starts) down the stretch for the Kansas City Royals. Before being dealt to Kansas City, Lorenzen's ERA and WHIP were still respectable, 3.81 and 1.279, respectively, in 19 games with the Texas Rangers. Lorenzen's performance with the Rangers seems to a more accurate representation of his pitching abilities, as it falls in line with his career average ERA (3.99) and WHIP (1.311).

Too many unknowns for the Guardians not to add to their rotation

While some may prefer that the Guardians stick with what they currently have in their organization, now is not the time to do that. Tanner Bibee is the only arm that can be genuinely depended on now, which is a major problem. Bouncebacks from Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, and Triston McKenzie could happen, but counting on that is not the best endeavor. Ben Lively was solid early on last year and was able to eat some innings at a time the Guardians needed it. However, as the season progressed, he ran out of gas, and his performances declined in quality. The above-mentioned Ortiz could also be a solution to their lack of pitching depth, but again, that is not a guarantee.

Bringing in Lorenzen to bolster this group would allow the Guardians to have a little bit more margin for error, and considering the number of unknowns in their rotation, they could really use a larger buffer zone. It would be a clearcut case of roster mismanagement to not bring in someone to stabilize their rotation's talent floor, and Lorenzen could absolutely provide that service.