Royals $7 Million Former All-Star Listed As 'Buy-Low' Trade Candidate

The Kansas City Royals are watching their season fall apart right before their eyes. Entering play on Friday, they are 41-47 on the season.

The team is 13 games back in the American League Central and 4 1/2 back in the Wild Card race. As such, they may end up being sellers at this year's trade deadline.

There are plenty of pieces on the current roster that could be of interest to contending teams. One such piece is right-hander Michael Lorenzen.

He is on an expiring contract, and plenty of teams will need starting pitching help. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter listed Lorenzen as a buy-low trade candidate.

"Veteran Michael Lorenzen is no stranger to being dealt midseason, as he was on the move ahead of the 2023 and 2024 trade deadlines," Reuter wrote.

"Lorenzen's numbers this season don't jump off the screen, but he has been thrust into a playoff push before. He is capable of handling a variety of roles, from filling a spot in the rotation to multi-inning relief work to getting outs at the end of a game."

Lorenzen has struggled a bit this season, going 4-8 with a 4.95 ERA in 17 starts with Kansas City. However, he is a former All-Star and somebody who could easily plug a hole in a rotation.

Teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers could use more starting pitching, and Lorenzen could be a perfect fit thanks to all of their injuries. The right-hander earned his first All-Star nod back in 2023.

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