The 30-year-old Lange is a former first-round pick who was one of Detroit’s best relievers for a few seasons. He spent much of the 2023 season as AJ Hinch’s closer, going 26-32 in save opportunities. Lange posted a 3.68 earned run average while striking out 27.4% of opponents in 66 innings that year. He grounded out on half of the batted balls he allowed, while missing bats on a whopping 15.5% of his offerings. Lange was prone to bouts of wildness, but his stuff played.
Lange’s strikeout rate plummeted early in the 2024 season. Detroit demoted him to Triple-A in late May. Lange looked like he was bouncing back against minor league play until he suffered a significant lat injury. That required surgery that not only ended his ’24 campaign, but also shelved him until August of this year. Lange was essentially a non-factor for two years. He pitched just once at the big league level last season, working around two singles and a walk to complete a scoreless inning.
The encouraging sign is that Lange’s stuff didn’t seem diminished. He averaged 96.2 MPH on his sinker and 88.4 MPH on his knuckle curve in that lone big league appearance. Both speeds were marginally higher than where he had been two years ago. Lange struck out nearly 30% of Triple-A opponents while posting a 4.63 ERA in 24 appearances. He also walked 14.3% of the batters he faced, but that’s par for the course for a pitcher who has always had well-below-average command.
It will certainly be a cheap one-year flyer on a pitcher with plus stuff and some high-leverage experience. Lange has a minor league option remaining, so the Royals can keep him in Triple-A Omaha next season without exposing him to waivers. He has between three and four years of service, meaning KC could have him under his wing for three seasons. Lange will need a healthy season to convince the Royals to offer him contracts that make the additional years of control meaningful, but there is also a long-term upside.
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