Mets and Rangers Atop Michael Lorenzen Suitors List? Kodai Senga Injury and Jordan Montgomery Price Impact Pitching Market

While Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are dominating the free-agent pitching market, veteran pitchers like Michael Lorenzen haven’t generated the same level of buzz this offseason. While zooming in on the pitcher side of things, on one hand, the New York Mets most recently lost their starting pitcher, Kodai Senga, for indefinitely. Conversely, the 2023 World Series winners, the Texas Rangers, are searching for stability in their talented yet shaky pitching staff. Reportedly, both the Mets and the Rangers could benefit from signing the veteran reliever for more than one reason.

Lorenzen entered the free agency market in the current season looking for an association of two years at an affordable price. As soon as the news became public, two major teams, the Mets and the Rangers, emerged as the strong pursuers, among others, to strengthen their mound.

Two giant teams emerge in Lorenzen sweepstakes

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Lorenzen is still available in the free-agency market. Though his association with the Philadelphia Phillies in last season didn’t go on a very impressive note, he was an All-Star with the Tigers and had an attention-grabbing 4.18 ERA in 29 starts and 153 innings overall. Thus, Lorenzen can easily become one of the most ideal candidate for the Mets and the Rangers, who are looking for a solid pitching hand.

Talking about the Mets, they have recently sidelined their center of aspiration, starting pitcher Kodai Senga, following his shoulder strain. According to the reports, he will be benched for the rest of the spring training and is also anticipated to miss the crucial Opening Day, while being under the treatment process. Thus, his absence prompted the team to look for a befitting option.

However, as The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Tim Britton reported, the team has yet to confirm anything regarding the contract. Besides, they also highlighted that the team has kept him as an option in case they would need him after any other injury case. On the one hand, the Mets are seeing him as a starting pitcher to bridge the void created by Senga to a certain amount at least. On the other hand, there are other teams who are becoming more heightened pursuers of the athlete.

Read More: MLB Rumors: New York Mets Eye Michael Lorenzen? Growing Injury Issues Hamper Rotation Depth

Lorenzen over Montgomery makes more sense for Rangers

Another team who tops the pursuers’ list is none other than the Texas Rangers. Though the team is prepared with its starting pitchers’ rotation, another significant addition will not harm it; rather, it will add several layers of benefits to its pitching segment. For instance, in the wake of a concerning amount of injured starting pitchers, adding, Lorenzen will become noting sort of beneficial for the team. However, there still remains a question that if they had the option of reuniting with their former athlete Jordan Montgomery, who is still available in the free agency market, then what could be the reason behind their chase for Lorenzen?

Well, the answer is pretty simple. Acquiring Monty will cost them a chunk of $150 million for multiple years, with an average annual value of $25 million. On the other hand, Lorenzen is projected to claim a merely $20 million contract for two years, which will land his AAV at $10 million, a much more convenient option for the Rangers. In this regard, FanGraphs presented an estimated payroll of $220 million for the team and adding a layer of $10 million will still keep them below their CBT threshold of $237 million.

Thus, this will be a win-win option for either side. However, this is just a prediction, and the final result is still bestowed upon the shoulders of time.

Read More: MLB Free Agency: 4 Top Contenders Left For Star Pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery