With the start of spring training this weekend, there are still several free agents that haven’t signed with a team. One of the players who top the list of unsigned contributors is Kyle Lohse. Lohse is an excellent right-handed pitcher that has been on four different MLB teams throughout his 12-year professional career.
Lohse had one of his best seasons last year. In 2012, he went 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 143 strikeouts. This was his second season where he remained healthy and put up double-digit wins for the Cardinals. But, the Cards decided that they would not re-sign Lohse in the offseason, which has put him in the free agent market.
The main problem with signing Lohse is that a team would have to give up a pick to make the addition. A team would have to give up their first round selection in the upcoming draft, except for the Cardinals. This has made teams question whether or not they would sign a 34-year old.
There is still a very good chance for Lohse to sign with a team before Opening Day. But certain teams haven’t seen the need in adding Lohse to the rotation. According to an NBC Sports article, the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers are both not interested in signing the California native. Other teams that have shown interest over the last few months include the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles. But neither of those teams have made a substantial offer yet.
Lohse‘s best spot would be to land on the Indians because he would add another solid pitcher to the bottom of their rotation. The Tribe are weak towards their end of their starting five. They are hoping that young pitchers like Trevor Bauer or Carlos Carrasco fit into that spot and become successful this season. Adding Lohse would bring a veteran pitcher with a lot of wins under his belt and would give them more time to develop.
Also, the Indians would not need to give up a first round pick like the other teams interested. Their first round pick is protected. Next, they’ve given up their second round and competitive balance round picks for Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. This means that signing Lohse would make the Indians only lose their third round pick and add a strong arm in return.
Pitching was one of the major problems for the Tribe last season. Adding Lohse would give the Indians a much better rotation this season. They would get consistency and more wins with Lohse in the starting five. Also, it will help them contend with the other teams in the AL Central Division because of the experience that he brings to the table. The Indians need to add Lohse to give them a better shot at winning the division and making a possible run in the playoffs.
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