Reds' Lorenzen wants to pitch 180 innings, play OF between starts

Michael Lorenzen's goal for 2021 is to take his two-way game to the next level.

Lorenzen, a right-handed pitcher who often moonlights as an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, is ready to play both positions on a full-time basis. In addition to working as both a center fielder and pinch hitter when not on the mound, the 29-year-old wants to move into the Reds' rotation and give it 180 innings of work.

"I've always said (that) me starting is what enables me to maximize those other tools," Lorenzen told Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "People always try to tell me otherwise and I always tell them, 'you're not the one doing it.' I see it every day. I know what goes into the game planning and how complicated it is. Honestly, it just gives (manager) David (Bell) and the coaching staff a way easier game plan to manage."

Under his ideal plan, Lorenzen sees himself playing in three out of every five games this year. If he ends up as the Reds' No. 5 starter, he would sit the day after pitching. He'd be willing to play the day before his starts if the coaching staff allowed it.

Lorenzen came up as a starting pitcher in 2015 but has pitched almost exclusively as a reliever since then. He did give the Reds a pair of solid spot starts last September, winning one of those games during his team's playoff push.

Lorenzen - a two-way player in college - focused exclusively on pitching outside of occasional pinch-hitting appearances until 2018. He became more of a full-time two-way player in 2019, when he pitched in 73 games and made 29 appearances (including six starts) as an outfielder. During the shortened 2020 campaign he didn't take an at-bat, but made a few appearances as an outfielder and pinch runner.

Lorenzen owns a 3.97 ERA, 4.28 FIP, and 1.37 WHIP with 385 strikeouts and 183 walks over 444 1/3 innings as a pitcher. Offensively, he's a lifetime .235/.284/.432 hitter with seven home runs, 24 RBIs, and five stolen bases across 146 plate appearances.