MLB Rumors: Michael Lorenzen, Rangers Agree to 1-Year, $4.5M Contract Ahead of Season

Adam WellsMarch 21, 2024

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Looking to solidify their rotation depth going into the 2024 MLB season, the Texas Rangers are adding Michael Lorenzen.

Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the reigning World Series champs have agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with Lorenzen.

The contract includes $2.5 million in incentives that can push the total value up to $7 million.

The addition of Lorenzen is more interesting for what it might say about the Rangers’ involvement in the Jordan Montgomery sweepstakes.

Montgomery is the last of the top free-agent players available this offseason. The market for a lot of them didn’t materialize in the way they were likely hoping for. Blake Snell, the 2023 NL Cy Young winner, signed a two-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

After being acquired in a midseason trade with the St. Louis Cardinals last season, Montgomery played a huge role for the Rangers during their playoff run. He had a 2.90 ERA in 31 innings over six postseason appearances.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network recently noted that Montgomery is “believed to want to return” to Texas. The Cardinals, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs were also cited as teams that have had at least some level of interest in the 31-year-old, but it’s unclear if anything is close for him right now.

The addition of Lorenzen doesn’t necessarily preclude the Rangers from bringing Montgomery back. He’s not making much money and doesn’t have a strong track record of success to make Texas feel confident he can hold down a rotation spot all season.

Lorenzen did have a highlight moment in 2023 when he tossed a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies. The right-hander finished the season with a 4.18 ERA in 153 innings over 29 appearances between the Phillies and Detroit Tigers.

This move does afford manager Bruce Bochy more options in 2024. Lorenzen can start or pitch out of the bullpen in either short stints or as a long reliever, depending on the situation.

In nine MLB seasons with four different teams, Lorenzen owns a 4.11 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 342 appearances.