Blue Jays Scoop Up Michael Lorenzen After Disastrous Rockies Stint

The Toronto Blue Jays are signing Michael Lorenzen, proving once again that if you have a pulse and a right arm, there is a spot for you on a Major League roster in late August. MLB Trade Rumors broke the news that the veteran is heading north after a truly disastrous stint in the mountains.

The Colorado Rockies gave Lorenzen $8 million this past offseason to help stabilize their rotation. Instead, they got 115.2 innings of batting practice. He posted a 7.08 ERA before Colorado finally designated him for assignment and released him, deciding they would rather pay him to go away than watch him throw another pitch at altitude.

"MLB Trade Rumors reported the signing, noting Lorenzen's transition to the Blue Jays."

To be fair to Lorenzen, pitching at Coors Field is like trying to throw darts in a wind tunnel. He logged a comical 9.12 ERA at home this year. But before anyone in Toronto starts planning a parade based on positive regression, his road ERA was still a highly flammable 5.61.

For the Blue Jays, this is a zero-risk dumpster dive. Because the Rockies released him, Toronto only has to pay the prorated league minimum. It is the baseball equivalent of finding a slightly dented flat-screen TV on the curb and hoping it just needs a new power cord.

If you are looking at the betting markets, do not let the change of scenery fool you into backing Lorenzen blindly. A move to the bullpen might help his stuff play up, considering his career relief ERA is nearly a full run lower than his starter numbers, but he is still a guy who strikes out fewer than 15 percent of the batters he faces.

Toronto is finishing up a series against the Kansas City Royals before welcoming the Seattle Mariners to town this weekend. Expect Lorenzen to join the club shortly to eat some low-leverage innings as the Blue Jays limp toward the finish line of their own frustrating season.