Veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen has reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the reigning World Series champions Texas Rangers. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the deal is worth $4.5 million, and Lorenzen could earn another $2.5 million in incentives.
Lorenzen started the 2023 season with the Detroit Tigers and earned a first career All-Star nod before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He struggled during his stint with the Phillies and was moved out of rotation later in the season, causing him to sit out on the free agent market longer than expected.
Lorenzen went 5-7 with a 3.58 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 18 starts with the Tigers last season before being traded to Philadelphia in August in exchange for infielder prospect Hao-Yu Lee. He had a dream debut for the Phillies, throwing a no-hitter in a 7–0 win over the Washington Nationals and becoming just the 14th player in franchise history to achieve this feat.
However, since his no-hitter, Lorenzen largely struggled at the mound. He posted a 7.96 ERA in the following five starts and was demoted to the bullpen. Lorenzen was even left out of the National League Wild Card roster before returning for the NLDS and NLCS series.
Michael Lorenzen made his MLB debut in 2015 and spent the first seven years of his career with the Cincinnati Reds. He spent the 2022 season with the Los Angeles Angels before signing a one-year deal with the Tigers ahead of the 2023 campaign. Lorenzen has a 40-38 record in the majors with a 4.11 ERA and 602 strikeouts.
