Lorenzen was the reliever that Reds manager Bryan Price trusted the most to get games to closer Raisel Iglesias, though that didn't always manifest itself in a traditional setup role. That was especially true early in the season when the Reds were off to a good start, and the games were critical enough to identify key situations early in the game -- notably once in the third inning against the Pirates. The Reds initially envisioned multiple relievers sharing in the save chances, but instead Iglesias colllected 28 of their 33 saves, with Lorenzen getting just two. He faltered badly in the second half, posting a 6.32 ERA after the All-Star break. Pitching as a starter no longer seems to be in the offing for Lorenzen, despite some musings midseason last year, so expect more of the same from him in 2018.

Rebuilding clubs often need to push prospects into big league situations sooner than they otherwise would. Lorenzen, who struggled in the majors in 2015 and missed the first two and a half months of 2016, definitely fell into that category. The Reds needed any help they could get and so the 24-year-old was sent to the majors as soon as his elbow healed up. After two years experimenting as a starter, Lorenzen was moved back to the bullpen and looked much sharper in the role. His average fastball velocity moved up to 96.2 mph, he struck out 48 batters in 50 innings and he cut his ERA nearly in half from the year before. The Reds have decided not to mess with success -- they will keep Lorenzen in the bullpen in 2017. He may see some high-leverage relief work, but Drew Storen and Raisel Iglesias will be the top candidates for save opportunities.

Most pitching prospects need to spend significant chunks of time at each minor league stop on the prospect ladder in order to be fully ready to contribute at the big league level. This is especially important if the prospect in question isn't that polished to begin with. All of this applies to Lorenzen, who was thrown into the Reds' rotation in late April, but appears to have not been ready for the task. Lorenzen played the outfield and pitched relief in college before the Reds converted him to starting. While Lorenzen had a 1.88 ERA in six Triple-A starts, his strikeout ratio was a microscopic 4.0 K/9, a harbinger for his struggles against major league hitters. Lorenzen could benefit from spending a half-season in Louisville in 2016, but it's uncertain whether he'll get it given the lack of veteran starting pitchers in the organization.

Lorenzen doesn't fit the mold of most prospects. Many organizations were interested in the Cal-State Fullerton attendee as an outfielder, but the Reds drafted him in the supplemental first round in 2013 as a relief pitcher, then converted him into a starter beginning at the Arizona Fall League. He got pounded there, but that frequently happens in a high-offense environment against many advanced hitting prospects, especially with pitchers with less experience like Lorenzen. The Reds quickly got him out of High-A Bakersfield, instead allowing him to develop at a higher level in Double-A Pensacola, albeit at a much friendlier ballpark for pitchers. He blossomed there, posting a 3.13 ERA over 120.2 innings while allowing just nine homers all season. The one question is whether Lorenzen can convert his stuff (94 mph fastball, good slider) into a better strikeout rate as he becomes more experienced. Thus, the Reds aren't likely to promote Lorenzen aggressively to the majors in order to get him to learn how to employ his range of pitches better.