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.  

The post All-Star RHP Michael Lorenzen and Rangers Agree to 1-Year, $4.5 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Shohei Ohtani was the most sought after free agent a few offseasons ago based on his ability to both hit and pitch at a major league level. That is a talent that nobody has done successfully since Babe Ruth, and Ohtani was supposed to bring it back to baseball almost a century later.

After injuries kept him from pitching more than a few games, the Angels decided to use him primarily as a DH, so that he wouldn’t have to do too much, which caused him to not play at all. As the talk died down of a dual pitcher- hitter, a new name has come up this season- Michael Lorenzen.

Last week Lorenzen became the second player to hit a home run, pitch, and play in the field, all in the same game. The only other player to do this was Babe Ruth in 1921. Lorenzen didn’t just play any position, he was put in centerfield, the outfield position with the most talent needed.

On Sunday, Lorenzen was called in to pinch-hit with the winning run in scoring position. A pitcher pinch-hitting is an incredibly rare move to see, but it paid off as he roped a walk-off double down the left-field line. Lorenzen continues to amaze at the plate and the question remains, is he accomplishing what Ohtani wasn’t able to?

The post Is Michael Lorenzen the Most Successful Hitting Pitcher in Baseball? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.  

The post All-Star RHP Michael Lorenzen and Rangers Agree to 1-Year, $4.5 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Shohei Ohtani was the most sought after free agent a few offseasons ago based on his ability to both hit and pitch at a major league level. That is a talent that nobody has done successfully since Babe Ruth, and Ohtani was supposed to bring it back to baseball almost a century later.

After injuries kept him from pitching more than a few games, the Angels decided to use him primarily as a DH, so that he wouldn’t have to do too much, which caused him to not play at all. As the talk died down of a dual pitcher- hitter, a new name has come up this season- Michael Lorenzen.

Last week Lorenzen became the second player to hit a home run, pitch, and play in the field, all in the same game. The only other player to do this was Babe Ruth in 1921. Lorenzen didn’t just play any position, he was put in centerfield, the outfield position with the most talent needed.

On Sunday, Lorenzen was called in to pinch-hit with the winning run in scoring position. A pitcher pinch-hitting is an incredibly rare move to see, but it paid off as he roped a walk-off double down the left-field line. Lorenzen continues to amaze at the plate and the question remains, is he accomplishing what Ohtani wasn’t able to?

The post Is Michael Lorenzen the Most Successful Hitting Pitcher in Baseball? appeared first on SportzBonanza.