Kyle Lohse rumors: Free agent yet to receive offer

Free agent Kyle Lohse has fielded interest this offseason but has yet to receive an offer, something that can largely be attributed to the draft pick compensation that’s been attached to the right-hander, according to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Lohse, 34, has fielded interest but not yet received an offer. The leading cause dates back to a decision the Cardinals made with Lohse and Berkman two months ago. The Cardinals presented Lohse with a one-year, $13.3-million qualifying offer that he and his agent Scott Boras rejected. That offer assured the Cardinals, who have not revisited signing Lohse since, would receive a draft pick as compensation when he signed with another team.

While draft pick compensation has been around for years, its rules were changed over the offseason with the new collective bargaining agreement. Teams will still lose picks, but they will also lose the pick’s suggested bonus for their capped draft pool.

For this reason, interest in Lohse has been limited throughout the offseason. Goold notes that at least one team that was initially interested in the right-hander pulled back because of the compensation penalty. The Baltimore Orioles, a potential suitor for Lohse, are one of the teams that is reportedly shying away from players attached to draft pick compensation.

Lohse maintained an ERA of 2.86 with 6.1 strikeouts and 1.6 walks per nine innings over 33 starts for the Cardinals last season.