Rockies sign starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen

Michael Lorenzen (Anthony L. Taylor, Wikimedia Commons)

According to the Associated Press on Wednesday, the Colorado Rockies have signed starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen of Anaheim, California to a one-year contract worth $8 million. Lorenzen joins an organization that had the worst record in the Major Leagues last year. They had a record of 43 wins and 119 losses for an abysmal winning percentage of .265. This was the first significant signing by new Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes.

The Rockies are Lorenzen’s seventh Major League Baseball franchise. He previously played seven seasons with the Cincinnati Reds from 2015 to 2021, played one season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2022, shared the 2023 season with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, shared the 2024 season with the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals and played the 2025 season with the Royals.

In 2025, Lorenzen had a record of seven wins and 11 losses with an earned run average of 4.64. During 27 games and 141 2/3 innings pitched, Lorenzen gave up 149 hits, 73 earned runs, 25 home runs and 39 walks, to go along with 127 strikeouts, 10 quality starts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.33.

Lorenzen is expected to be near the front of the Rockies starting rotation. He is projected to be part of a staff that includes Kyle Freeland of Denver, Colorado, Chase Dollander of Evans, Georgia, Tanner Gordon of Champaign, Illinois, and McCade Brown of Normal, Illinois.

In 2023, Lorenzen was an All-Star. While with the Tigers and Phillies, Lorenzen had a record of nine wins and nine losses with an earned run average of 4.18. Lorenzen’s season was highlighted by a complete game no-hitter in a 7-0 Phillies win over the Washington Nationals on August 9.