Free agent pitcher Alex Lange is on the verge of signing a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. This deal follows Lange’s release from the Detroit Tigers last Tuesday.
About Alex Lange
Lange, who is 30 years old, was a former first-round draft pick and has previously established himself as a key reliever for the Tigers. During the 2023 season, he served as the closer under manager A.J. Hinch.
2023 Season Performance
- Converted 26 of 32 save opportunities
- Achieved a 3.68 earned run average (ERA)
- Struck out 27.4% of the hitters faced
- Logged 66 innings pitched
- Recorded a ground ball rate of 50%
- Missed bats on 15.5% of his pitches
Despite these stats, Lange struggled with control issues and saw his strikeout rate fall early in the 2024 season, resulting in a demotion to Triple-A by May’s end. He showed signs of recovery in the minors before suffering a serious lat injury, which required surgery and sidelined him until August of this year.
Recent Activity and Performance
In the past season, Lange made just one appearance at the major league level. However, he managed to pitch a scoreless inning despite allowing two hits and a walk. Notably, his pitch velocities have shown improvement, averaging 96.2 MPH on his sinker and 88.4 MPH on his knuckle-curve during that outing.
Minor League Performance
- Pitched in 24 games in Triple-A
- Posted a 4.63 ERA
- Struck out nearly 30% of batters
- Walked 14.3% of batters faced
Lange’s history of inconsistency with command is noted, as he has always struggled with below-average control. However, the Royals view this as a low-risk opportunity to leverage a pitcher with significant potential and valuable high-leverage experience.
Future Outlook for the Royals
The Royals currently have an opening in their 40-man roster, allowing them to integrate Lange into their system without immediate risk. Lange still holds a minor league option, giving Kansas City the flexibility to keep him at Triple-A Omaha next season without exposing him to waivers.
With three to four years of service time under his belt, the Royals have the potential to control Lange for three additional seasons, contingent on his ability to remain healthy and productive. His performance this season will be critical in determining whether the team offers him future contracts that could extend his stay in Kansas City.
