4 Available Free Agent Pitchers Not Named Snell or Montgomery

All the focus on the free agent market these days seems to be on four players, but there are still others that could take a role—large or small—on a major league roster.  

While Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery dominating the starting pitcher talk, there are four others who have had plenty of success in the big leagues at various points in their career who could step in and take the ball in some capacity in 2024. We take a look at them now:

Michael Lorenzen

The nine-year veteran has shown on plenty of occasions that he could be a valuable contributor, not the least of which came shortly after his arrival with the Philadelphia Phillies late last season:

Michael Lorenzen’s no-hitter in his @Phillies home debut is the No. 9 play of 2023. 😤 pic.twitter.com/kZvMI0LRAK

— MLB (@MLB) December 4, 2023

In his home debut in the City of Brotherly Love on August 9th, Lorenzen tossed a no-hitter in a 7-0 Phillies win over the Washington Nationals. It was only the second no-no in Citizens Bank Park — the only other: Roy Halladay's against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series on Oct. 6, 2010.

Overall last season, the All-Star hurler pitched to a 4.18 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP split between the Detroit Tigers and the Phillies. In his career, he owns a 4.11 ERA.

Mike Clevinger

The 33-year-old was a bona fide ace for the Cleveland Guardians earlier in his career, as he posted a 42–22 record with a 3.20 ERA in his 4 1/2 years there. But he hasn't been the same since Tommy John surgery in 2020 robbed him of the entire 2021 season and has left him with an ERA hovering around the 4.00 mark since his return. He was inconsistent with the Chicago White Sox last season, but did finish with a respectable 3.77 ERA in 24 starts.

Zach Greinke

Greinke, now 40, is a six-time All-Star, and would be going into his 21st major league season, if any team decided to take a flier on him. He struggled big-time in 2023 with the Kansas City Royals, posting a 2–15 record with a 5.06 ERA. Perhaps a minimal role in the bullpen somewhere might be an option for the former Cy Young winner, who has said he's open to offers. 

Rich Hill

He'd be entering his age-44 season, but he still believes he can contribute at the major league level. He insisted after the end of the 2023 season that he has one more year left in him, but it might not be until the second half of the season. He admitted he can't take the 162-game grind any longer. Last year, he posted a 5.41 ERA for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Diego Padres in 24 starts.

Photo: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports