On Monday afternoon, the Colorado Rockies designated former Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen for assignment.
Chances are, Lorenzen will be waived as a corresponding move, making him available to all other 29 clubs in Major League Baseball. If Lorenzen is not taken by another team that has priority in the waiver claim order, the Phillies should reunite with their former pitcher.
They could also wait and see if Lorenzen gets outright released by the Rockies, paving the way to offer the veteran a minor league contract instead.
This season for the Colorado Rockies, Lorenzen went 3-11 with a 7.08 earned run average in 115.2 innings pitched. In strictly performances on the road, the veteran right-hander was a more respectable 2-6 with a 5.61 earned run average.
Last season with the Kansas City Royals, he was 7-11 with a 4.64 earned run average in 141.2 innings pitched.
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Without sugarcoating it, Lorenzen had an awful season with the Rockies. However, for a franchise that has never been able to develop pitchers, combined with the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field, pitchers should not be judged too harshly for their statistics.
In his time with the Phillies, Lorenzen was 4-2 with a 5.51 earned run average in seven starts and 11 overall appearances.
His ability to both start and pitch in relief gives him the ability to fill a role with the Phillies. At the current moment, only Alan Rangel provides the length and option for the Phillies in a pinch. He has gone 0-3 with a 5.88 earned run average in seven big league appearances this season.
Outside of Rangel, the club has virtually no options in the event a starting pitcher goes down.
Lorenzen is particularly close with Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham. The two, of course, worked together in this setting back in 2023 when Lorenzen joined the Phillies. However, they were also teammates back in Cotham's playing days with the Cincinnati Reds.
The move would by no means be a needle mover for the Phillies. It would, however, provide them depth in a time period when they need it the most.
