Dunio : Pirates Should Make a Run at Kyle Lohse

In 2012 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Kyle Lohse was absolutely incredible. Lohse posted a ridiculous 16-3 record with an astonishing 2.83 ERA. He led the league in winning percentage and games started while finishing 7th in Cy Young voting. Despite his video-game like statistics, he is currently unemployed and can't find a job.
A few factors contribute significantly to Lohse's current unemployment status:
* If a team signs Lohse, they must forfeit their 1st round pick in the upcoming draft.
* Lohse is 34 years old and is said to be looking for a 3 year deal in the neighborhood of 60-65 million.
* Securing a long-term deal with a mid 30's pitcher is risky due to injury concerns.
I believe that the shrinking market for Lohse will force him to lessen his contractual demands. He may consider signing a one year pillow contract similar to what Edwin Jackson did last year. Jackson signed a 1-year, 11 million dollar deal with the Nationals and parlayed that into a 4 year, 52 million dollar deal with the Cubs. However, if I am GM of the Pirates, I'd consider giving going "all in" on Lohse preferably with a 2 year deal. Will he be expensive? Yes. However, Lohse currently isn't in a position of leverage because of the 1st round pick forfeiture and the Pirates may be able to sign him at a more reasonable number.
Reasons why the Pirates should make this move:
1. Lohse would immediately bump Burnett out of the #1 role. The rotation would transform the Pirates from pretenders to contenders overnight. Imagine the top 3 starters in the rotation being Lohse, Burnett, and Rodriguez! That resembles a REAL rotation that would rival nearly every rotation in the NL.
2. The Pirates have (2) 1st round picks. They would have to surrender the 14th overall pick, but they still own the 9th overall pick because Mark Appel didn't sign after being drafted last year. They could use one of their picks to get better now without mortgaging their future.
3. Hopefully in June, Garrit Cole will be joining the rotation. Add him to Lohse, Burnett, and Rodriguez and it might be one of the NL's best rotations.
On how Lohse would fit in Pittsburgh, Fox Sports' John Paul Morosi said "Lohse would be "a great fit" in Pittsburgh and indeed, Lohse would arguably project as the ace of a Pirates rotation that currently has two starters (Francisco Liriano and Jeff Karstens) dealing with health concerns."
The Pirates are quietly assembling a quality team. Offensively, the team has the capabilities of packing a punch, but the question marks surrounding the rotation could prove to be troubling for a squad looking to assemble a winning season. Strengthening the starting rotation could help transform this team from a .500 or slightly better club to a division winning club. The Pirates have already opened up the wallet a little more this year, but this move makes sense and could be a defining moment in Pittsburgh becoming a baseball town again.
Hoka Hey