The Colorado Rockies finally broke the winter lull as they signed their first major league free agent under their new front office.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported this on Wednesday evening that the Rockies and right-handed starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen have agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal that will add much-needed veteran depth to the rotation. The contract also includes a $9 million club option for 2027.
Lorenzen, 34, was originally a first-round selection in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He attended California State University, Fullerton.
Lorenzen was something of a two-way player, making multiple starts in the outfield for the Reds in addition to his starting pitching duties. He was a career .233/.282/.429 hitter with seven home runs, 24 RBIs and even five stolen bases in 133 at-bats before being adopted as Major League Baseball’s universal designated hitter.
Lorenzen spent his first seven big league seasons with the Reds, working largely as a reliever outside of his 2015 rookie campaign. Since leaving Cincinnati, he has worked almost exclusively as a starting pitcher, spending time with the Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and most recently the Kansas City Royals.
While not exactly a strikeout pitcher at this point in his career, Lorenzen is doing well when it comes to limiting walks and hard contact. He gets solid results from an extensive arsenal of pitches.
In 2025 with the Royals he threw a four-seam fastball in the low to mid 90s, a sinker, a changeup with some armside break, both a sweeper And slider, a cutter and a looping 12-6 curveball. Additionally, he posted a 4.64 ERA with a 4.59 FIP over 27 appearances – 26 of which were starts – over 141 2/3 innings. It’s worth noting that he also led the league in wild pitches.
With a career ERA of 4.08 over eleven seasons, Lorenzen is far from a flashy acquisition. However, he represents a solid veteran presence in a rotation that still has plenty of holes to fill before the start of the 2026 regular season. If he performs well, he could also be traded for more organizational building blocks at the deadline.
#Purple #Row #Dark #Rockies #signs #RHP #Michael #Lorenzen