The Colorado Rockies have agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with right-hander Michael Lorenzen, including a club option for 2027, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. This marks the first free-agent signing under new Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta.
Lorenzen, 34, is a versatile veteran entering his 12th MLB season. Capable of pitching both as a starter and out of the bullpen, he brings flexibility that appeals to the Rockies as they continue their rebuild. The deal is pending a physical and pays Lorenzen $7.75 million for the 2026 season, nearly matching his career-high $8.5 million earned in 2023. The 2027 team option is valued at $9 million with a $250,000 buyout.
In addition to his pitching skills, Lorenzen is an exceptional athlete, having hit four home runs in 2018 and played 34 games in the outfield for Cincinnati earlier in his career. He features a six-pitch arsenal with strong command. While his raw metrics may not rank highly in analytics models, Lorenzen’s ability to consistently get outs despite modest strikeout rates has made him attractive in both starting and relief roles.
In 11 MLB seasons, Michael Lorenzen has a 54-55 record with a 4.08 ERA, 15 saves and 826 strikeouts in 432 appearances (119 starts) for the Reds, Angels, Tigers, Phillies, Rangers and Royals.
Michael Lorenzen has expressed a preference to pitch as a starter, and he is expected to fill that role for the Rockies, who are coming off a 43-119 season and face little chance of avoiding 100 losses again in 2026. After the dismissal of general manager Bill Schmidt, the Rockies brought in Paul DePodesta, a former Los Angeles Dodgers GM, from his role as chief strategy officer with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.
DePodesta takes over a roster lacking talent at the major league level and a farm system that offers limited depth. Signings like Lorenzen are viewed as high-upside bets, aimed at finding one of the few pitchers capable of succeeding at Coors Field. If Lorenzen can replicate his 2024 performance rather than his 2025 season—when he posted a 4.64 ERA over 141⅔ innings with Kansas City—the Rockies could have a valuable trade asset by the midseason deadline.
Lorenzen is expected to join Kyle Freeland, Chase Dollander, and Ryan Feltner as the team’s top starters, while Tanner Gordon, Bradley Blalock, and McCade Brown are contenders for the fifth rotation spot, following seasons with ERAs above 6.00. The Rockies’ 2025 pitching staff struggled historically, recording a 5.99 ERA—the third-worst by any team since World War II.
