Brian Lawrence couldn’t crack Colorado’s rotation, so the 31 year-old soft-tosser is now a free agent. Since teams aren’t willing to give up much on May 2nd, Lawrence has multiple suitors. The Denver Post reports that the Orioles, Tigers, and Padres have interest.
Tim Brown reported yesterday that Detroit is on the prowl for pitching, and the loss of Jaret Wright created a vacancy for the O’s. Most likely, though, Lawrence returns to the Padres and tries to re-establish himself at Triple A. He had flirted with San Diego in the offseason before David Wells signed. Boomer has not fared well in the early going. Nor has Clay Hensley, but both have earned another month to set things right based on past results.
The Padres may feel an extra need for pitching depth if top pitching prospect Cesar Carrillo needs elbow surgery. A healthy Carrillo likely would’ve been better than Hensley, Wells, or Lawrence (PECOTA called for a 4.63 ERA; ZiPS said 4.21).
