These five pitchers should bring value to potential employers, and they won’t break the bank in the process.
Every single MLB team needs more pitchers. This is a fact of the modern game, and it will be true for the rest of time. That’s why so many free agent pitchers have signed for more than expected so far this winter. But there are still some out there who won’t cost as much as SP Alex Cobb, let alone SP Max Fried. After highlighting some bargain bin hitters recently, today I am looking at pitchers. I am patting myself on the back for including OF Mike Tauchman, who signed with the Chicago White Sox for less than $2 million just one day after that article was published.
Danny Coulombe
Every team can improve their bullpen, especially this time of year when rosters are so unsettled. That makes it even more surprising that the Baltimore Orioles decided to decline their club option on RP Danny Coulombe. The Birds could have kept him for $4 million but instead let him go. Coulombe was one of Baltimore’s best relievers the past two seasons, but he missed extensive time this year with an elbow issue.
Coulombe joined the Orioles right before Opening Day 2023 in one of Mike Elias’s best moves as GM. This was a mere cash deal with the Minnesota Twins, and Coulombe went on to post a 2.81 ERA last year and a 2.12 ERA this year with a 2.83 FIP both seasons. He was a true shutdown fireman who could handle batters of either handedness. As the low FIP implies, Coulombe struck out plenty of hitters while walking few of them and keeping the ball in the park. One warning sign is that his average exit velocity spiked six miles per hour in 2024, albeit in a much smaller sample.
Coulombe is one of the more unusual pitchers around, and a team can add him as a “look” reliever. His most common pitch is technically a cutter, but it moves so much at 85 MPH that it looks more like a breaking ball. But he also throws a sweeper and curveball at 79-81 MPH that move even more. Mix in a four seamer and a two seamer, and hitters have to deal with a wide velocity spread all around the zone. This effect helps him keep the ball off barrels, and plenty of teams should be willing to give him a couple million dollars.
Michael Lorenzen
What does a swingman cost? Apparently, you can get a good one for just $4.5 million, because that’s what SP Michael Lorenzen signed for in late March. He was one of the victims of a slow offseason but should do better this time around after a strong year with the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. Lorenzen started 24 of his 26 appearances but played with fire by dramatically outpitching his peripherals. He posted a 3.31 ERA in 130.1 innings but just a 4.89 FIP due to below-average strikeout and walk rates.
That said, he pitched much better with the Royals after a deadline trade, with a 1.57 ERA and 3.90 FIP after putting up a 3.81 ERA and 5.17 FIP with Texas. The Rangers clearly thought he would implode any minute, so they cut bait for a positive return. Instead, Lorenzen improved and helped Kansas City get to the playoffs. He benefitted from a low BABIP of .236 this year, so regression is due, but he is still useful. Lorenzen throws seven different pitches but relies on his four seamer and changeup to get outs. The off-speed pitch is one of the best in baseball with a run value of 8 and an opponent’s batting average of just .122. With a deep arsenal and an obvious weapon, Lorenzen deserves a rotation job with a fall back as a long reliever.
After seven years with the Cincinnati Reds, Lorenzen has become a journeyman, playing for five teams in the last three seasons. Perhaps in 2025 he will be traded to a contender for the third straight year. It is worth mid-seven figures for a team to see what happens.
Mike Soroka
You might be wondering how someone who played for the White Sox this year could possibly make the list. That’s because RP Mike Soroka had a sneaky-good season after transitioning to the bullpen. You might remember him as a breakout starter with the Atlanta Braves, but then he missed almost three whole seasons due to injury. The Pale Hose got him as part of the return for RP Aaron Bummer, but the Canadian posted a 6.39 ERA in nine starts.
He then moved to the bullpen and pitched really well the rest of the season, with a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings. Soroka gave up lots of walks, but his strikeout rate spiked dramatically, from 12% as a starter to 38% as a reliever. Plus, Soroka often pitched multiple innings in relief, unlike most conversion pitchers who grip it and rip it for one inning. His pitch mix did not change immediately with a move to the bullpen, but it did change by the end of the season. He mostly shelved his sinker and changeup in September while sticking to his four seamer and slider.
It is clear that the transition and tinkering helped Soroka, and plenty of teams should be interested in his services. I doubt he will get more than $4 million due to the short track record, but perhaps he will get more if a team thinks he can start. It is also possible a team with good pitching development like the Milwaukee Brewers will sign him. [Update: Soroka signed with the Washington Nationals this evening.]
Colin Rea
Speaking of the Brewers, they got a whole lot of something from nothing out of SP Colin Rea the past two seasons. After returning from Japan, he signed a minor league deal entering the 2023 season. They selected his contract to be a fill-in in the rotation, but he pitched respectably enough to hang onto his spot. He posted a 4.55 ERA in 124.2 innings, which is much more than the Brewers could have ever asked for. Rea stuck around in 2024 and did even better. He lowered his ERA to 4.29 in 167.2 innings across 27 starts and 32 appearances. That is basically league-average production near a league-minimum salary, which is what the Brewers are known for with both pitchers and hitters.
Rea is a pretty generic righty outpitching his peripherals, but he does a good job limiting walks and keeping damage down. He doesn’t miss many bats but does throw six different pitches, with his sinker leading the way at 31%. Despite the backend production, Milwaukee declined their club option at $5.5 million, so anyone else could sign him for good value. At 34, Rea is a Certified Innings Eater who will take the ball when necessarily and keep his team in the game.
John Means
It is rare to find a starting bounce back candidate with upside, but SP John Means fits the bill. After three years as the Orioles’ best pitcher during the rebuild, Means has unfortunately been ravaged by injuries the last three years. He has thrown just 52.1 innings since the start of 2022. His last appearance was May 22, and he underwent Tommy John surgery June 3. Therefore, he will miss most if not all of the 2025, so whoever signs him will likely give him two years so that he can rehab under their watch and then hopefully pitch in 2026.
The timing is especially bad since Means is a free agent for the first time, but that means a team can take a flier on him with the possibility he returns to form when healthy. Means was an All-Star back in 2019 and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, as well. Even in these sparse last few years, he has mostly pitched well when on the field. His fastball velocity has understandably bounced around due to all the arm injuries, but he still features a plus changeup with good deception. He still limits walks and hard contact. Hopefully his velocity returns with a full recovery, and the strikeouts will come back with it. I expect him to get at most $16 million over two years, and a reunion with the O’s is possible.
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