A fascinating new report links the Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, and even the Los Angeles Dodgers to a former All-Star pitcher attempting to become MLB’s next two-way player.
This has been an eventful offseason thus far. The Mets set a new record for a sports contract when they gave Juan Soto an absurd $765 million deal.
The White Sox finally pulled the trigger on a Garrett Crochet trade. The Houston Astros even moved rising star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade to the Cubs.
Along with the Dodgers signing two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, the pickings on the free agent and trade market are getting slim. However, one player reportedly is taking an unexpected approach to try and boost their value on the open market.
On Thursday, The Athletic MLB insider Ken Rosenthal revealed that one-time All-Star Michael Lorenzen and his agent are pitching to teams the idea of making him eligible to be designated as a two-way player in 2025.
- Michael Lorenzen stats (2024): 7-6 record, 3.31 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, 97 strikeouts, 130.1 innings pitched
Could Michael Lorenzen be an in-season trade target for Los Angeles Dodgers due to two-way status?
“[Agent Ryan] Hamill, according to sources briefed on his conversations, is talking with clubs about signing Lorenzen, getting him the necessary plate appearances to qualify for two-way status, and then flipping him to a contender that would benefit from carrying him as a 14th pitcher,” Rosenthal wrote.
The soon-to-be 33-year-old has not hit in an MLB game since 2021 and has not had more than one plate appearance in a season since 2019.
This limits the options of teams that would actually be willing to give him the plate appearances necessary to join Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani as a legitimate two-way player.
But Rosenthal believes the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins would be open to the idea. Since expectations will be low again in 2025 they could see the long-term upside in a trade later in the season. If he meets the required amount of at-bats, the MLB insider believes contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers would be very interested in an eventual trade.
Lorenzen is a one-time All-Star who won a championship with the Texas Rangers in 2023 and has been both a deliver and starter during his career.
