Rockies Designate Michael Lorenzen For Assignment

The Rockies announced that they have recalled right-hander TJ Shook from Triple-A Albuquerque. Fellow righty Michael Lorenzen has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.

Lorenzen, 34, was one of several veterans the Rockies added to their rotation in the offseason. In an attempt to build a more respectable pitching staff, they gave Lorenzen $8MM, Jose Quintana $6MM and Tomoyuki Sugano $5.1MM on one-year deals.

In the case of Lorenzen, it was an interesting marriage from both perspectives. For the team, there was seemingly some hope that his diverse arsenal would help him navigate the difficulties of pitching at altitude, as he throws seven distinct pitches and doesn’t throw any of them more than a quarter of the time. From Lorenzen’s point of view, he probably felt he would get some decent run as a starter. He had posted some decent results with other clubs in previous seasons but often found himself kicked to the bullpen against his will.

Unfortunately, the experiment hasn’t worked out. Lorenzen has made 26 appearances this year, logging 115 2/3 innings, allowing 7.08 earned runs per nine. His 45.2% ground ball rate and 8.7% walk rate are fine figures but he has only punched out 14.6% of opponents, well shy of league average. The pitch mix didn’t help him at Coors Field, as he has a 9.12 ERA at home this year, compared to a 5.61 ERA on the road.

The Rockies went into the deadline as sellers. Lorenzen would have been a logical trade candidate as an impending free agent on a poor team but this year’s numbers surely tamped down interest. He stayed in Colorado passed the deadline but the clubs has now decided to move on. Since the deadline has passed, Lorenzen will be on waivers soon. As a veteran with at least five years of service, he can reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while keeping his money. The Rockies might skip that step and release him.

Colorado will remain on the hook for the money Lorenzen is still owed. Once he is a free agent, another club could sign him and would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum salary, with that amount subtracted from what the Rockies pay.

Perhaps that arrangement would be of interest to some clubs. Lorenzen has a 3.73 ERA as a reliever in his career, almost a full run better than his 4.71 starter ERA. Upgrades are hard to find at this time of year, with the deadline in the rear-view. Though Lorenzen isn’t having a good year, perhaps some club feels a move away from Coors Field and a shift to the bullpen could get him back on track. It wouldn’t be expensive to take a shot.

For the Rockies, they will now have a rotation spot to fill as they limp to the finish line of another lost season. Sugano, Ryan Feltner and Kyle Freeland are listed as the starters for the next three games. Gabriel Hughes has been holding down a spot for over a month now. Tanner Gordon has been in long relief and could perhaps slide into Lorenzen’s spot. Quintana is on the 60-day injured list with an elbow sprain and hasn’t begun a rehab assignment. Eiberson Castellano is on the 40-man roster. Keegan Thompson, Valente Bellozo, Jack Mahoney and Mason Adams are some non-roster options.