Texas Rangers Secure Michael Lorenzen is leaving the Houston Astros, Searching for Pitching Options
Prior to this development, there were rumors circulating that the Astros had shown interest in acquiring Lorenzen after missing out on Blake Snell, who joined the San Francisco Giants on a lucrative two-year deal worth $62 million. However, it appears that Houston was reluctant to meet Snell’s asking price and ultimately failed to secure his services.
With Lorenzen now off the table, the Astros may need to shift their focus towards other available options. One potential target could be Mike Clevinger, who is still on the market and seeking a relatively affordable deal that would allow him to rebuild his value at the MLB level.
Meanwhile, by acquiring Lorenzen’s services, the Texas Rangers are adding firepower to their rotation, which currently lacks key players such as Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom due to injuries. The hope is that these star pitchers will make their return later in the season.
Lorenzen had an impressive first half of last season while playing for the Detroit Tigers, which earned him his first MLB All-Star appearance. Shortly thereafter, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he achieved further success by throwing a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals on August 9th.
However, despite his strong start with Philadelphia, Lorenzen experienced a significant drop-off in performance during the latter part of last season. As a result, he only pitched 2.2 innings during postseason play while his team came agonizingly close to returning for another shot at winning the World Series.
One factor contributing to the uncertainty surrounding Lorenzen’s future lies in his recent transition from bullpen workhorse to starting pitcher just two seasons ago. Some question whether he has what it takes to thrive consistently in this new role within Texas’ rotation lineup.
Nevertheless, with Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom set for eventual returns from injury woes later this summer—two perennial Cy Young contenders—the Rangers are willing to afford Lorenzen an opportunity while awaiting their stars’ comebacks.