4 pitchers Rangers should trade for after deGrom surgery, ranked worst to best
By Josh Wilson
Pitchers for Rangers to trade for: Michael Lorenzen from Tigers
Michael Lorenzen is the crown jewel of a struggling Detroit Tigers team. Signed to a one-year deal this December, it would make a lot of sense for Detroit to cash in while they can with Lorenzen’s strong performance this year. His 3.21 ERA is his best since 2019, and his 0.994 WHIP is the strongest season of his career so far.
I have Lorenzen listed first here because I think, though he’s a strong pitcher, he would be the worst option of the few we’re going to discuss in this article. Lorenzen has relied on his defense the last two seasons, with a higher FIP than ERA both years. He’s also allowing a home run per nine innings, though he’s still below the league average of 1.16 in that metric.
Ultimately, Lorenzen is a strong pitcher and would be a reasonable addition to help backfill the loss of deGrom. He’s performing above average and would fit seamlessly with the Rangers’ approach of pitching first.
With the Rangers, some of his strong, low-runs-allowed starts could finally be capitalized into wins. He has a mild 2-2 record that could easily be higher if he had some offense behind him to help support.
Fans in Texas should be thrilled if they can get Lorenzen, but I think there are better options available.