Royals add 39-year-old Lohse on minor league deal
The pitching-thin Kansas City Royals signed right-hander Kyle Lohse to a minor league pact, the club announced Saturday.
Lohse, 39, has not pitched in the majors since a rough two-start stint with the Texas Rangers in 2016, when he allowed 13 runs, 15 hits and four home runs in nine 1/3 innings. His last full season was in 2015 with the Milwaukee Brewers, when he went 5-13 with a 5.85 ERA in 37 appearances (22 starts).
The Kansas City Star reports that Lohse is slated to earn $800,000 if the Royals call him up to the big-league squad and potentially up to another $700,000 in performance bonuses.
Lohse has pitched in parts of 16 major league seasons after breaking in with the Minnesota Twins in 2001 at age 22. He has pitched for Minnesota (2001--06), the Cincinnati Reds (2006-07), the Philadelphia Phillies (2007), the St. Louis Cardinals (2008-12), the Brewers (2013-15) and the Rangers (2016). Lohse is 147-143 with a 4.40 ERA for his career, surpassing 180 innings pitched nine times and double digits in wins in seven seasons.
His most dominant stretch came in 2011-12 with the Cardinals, when he went 30-11 combined with a 3.11 ERA. His finest season was in 2011 as he finished a career-best 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA.
The Royals are seemingly scrambling for starting pitching depth, also having signed longtime Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz to a minor-league contract in the final week of spring training.
The Royals' rotation, anchored by Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy, is currently set, but the bullpen is lacking in starting experience should somebody go down.
--Field Level Media
