Michael Lorenzen

[klw]

Here is an article on how the Red Sox addressed the two position question with Casey Kelly a few years back.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/3...ed-sox-a-curve

But then the Sox lured him to baseball with their checkbook and a promise that he could both pitch and play shortstop in the minor leagues. The agreement between the player and club was that he’d have to choose one or the other at the end of last season.

The son of former major league catcher Pat Kelly (Toronto) spent last winter re-sculpting his physique at IMG Performance Institute. He spent his first full season of professional ball splitting time between the mound and shortstop.

And another:
http://nesn.com/2009/11/casey-kelly-...ture-position/

The 30th overall pick in the 2008 draft began his first pro season out of high school as a shortstop in rookie ball and later spent time with the Class-A Lowell (Mass.) Spinners. In 2009, he switched to the mound and began the year as a pitcher for low Single-A Greenville (S.C.) and high Single-A Salem (Va.), going a combined 7-5 with a 2.08 ERA in 17 starts. In the second half of the year, the Red Sox took away the rosin bag, handed him a bat and he finished the year as a shortstop in Greenville and with the Gulf Coast League team in Fort Myers, Fla., hitting .222 with 16 RBIs in 40 games.

[Benihana]

Keith Law named Lorenzen as one of his "Quickest to the Majors" guys of everyone drafted yesterday - says he could be in the Cincy bullpen early next season.

I'd have to think that goes in the "Chapman to starter" camp. Drafting a fast moving reliever with two other very highly paid guys at the backend is not insignificant.

[fearofpopvol1]

If he is a reliever, I dislike the pick a lot.

[Benihana]

If he is a reliever, I dislike the pick a lot.

Ditto.

Especially with who was on the board.

[marcshoe]

Sports Illustrated called him the Best player to not be drafted in Round 1
"by far".

[Benihana]

Sports Illustrated called him the Best player to not be drafted in Round 1
"by far".

Interesting, although I'm not sure if he ranked as that as an OF or a RHP.

That Jacob Gatewood guy sounds awesome - would love to have him in the Reds organization after next year.

[11larkin11]

FYI Lorenzen is on ESPN2 right now playing for CSF. 1-2 with a single.

[Gallen5862]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/colle...ate-fullerton/

“Lorenzen’s got the best breaking ball in the country—if somebody’s got a better breaking ball than that, I want to see it. You’ve got a guy with a 98 mph fastball, and it is legitimately 95-98. Watch video, with nobody on base, he comes from the stretch every time, but gives you different looks. He’ll come set, go with a high leg kick, then—bam. Then sometimes he’ll go slide-step on you and—bam, it’s 98. He gives you different looks, plus the stuff.

“Lorenzen grew up around the place, the next Mark Kotsay—there were a lot of labels on the kid. He went through a couple transitional years for Fullerton. Now Hooky’s got the right personality for the team, and Lorenzen has fit right into it. I think that’s why the results are better. He’s more comfortable. The key against him is you’ve got to run fastballs in on him, then set him up for that breaking ball away. Stay with that approach. He’ll turn on pitches and hook them foul, then if you throw a slider at him, he’ll swing over them. He’s a good hitter, because he can beat you in different ways, too. He’ll drop the drag bunt on you, so you’ve got to respect that at third base and play even to a step behind. But he’ll turn on fastballs, so it makes your shortstop play in the six-hole tougher, and the guy can run. So you need a shortstop who can run behind him and make the play and put something on it to get him at first. I’d rather pitch to Lorenzen than Lopez or Chapman. I would say he’s the third-best hitter on the team.

[fearofpopvol1]

Vert interesting. It begs the question if true...why a reliever?!? Sounds like a position player or a starter makes a lot more sense.

[757690]

Can anyone remember a guy who was both a pitcher and a hitter coming up, who ended up above average as either one in the majors? The last guy I can think of was Babe Ruth.

[Benihana]

Could Lorenzen be a shut-down setup man who always remains in the game in the 9th as a defensive replacement in the OF? His D is supposed to be pretty nasty...

[dougdirt]

Could Lorenzen be a shut-down setup man who always remains in the game in the 9th as a defensive replacement in the OF? His D is supposed to be pretty nasty...

No team would risk a cog in their bullpen like that.

[Steve4192]

Can anyone remember a guy who was both a pitcher and a hitter coming up, who ended up above average as either one in the majors? The last guy I can think of was Babe Ruth.

Trevor Hoffman

[lollipopcurve]

Could Lorenzen be a shut-down setup man who always remains in the game in the 9th as a defensive replacement in the OF? His D is supposed to be pretty nasty...

Interesting question. But I think Doug's right -- you don't want a pitcher making throws from the OF.

[Benihana]

After reading Buckley's comments, the weird thing is that it doesn't sound like the Reds have a plan for him at all. They are going to try him as a hitter, and as a pitcher - not sure if starter or reliever. Buckley even says "We'll see what Mike wants to do." Very confusing if you ask me. I'd think if you're going to spend a top 40 pick on a guy who was not a consensus top 40 player, you'd have a pretty good idea or vision for where you wanted him to play.