Detroit – Just a few hours after Matthew Boyd officially signed his one-year, $10 million deal, another veteran pitcher, this one right-handed, agreed to join the Tigers’ rotation on a similar deal.
Two sources confirmed to the News that Michael Lorenzen, who will turn 31 on Jan. 4 and has eight years of big-league experience, agreed to a one-year deal worth $8.5 million guaranteed with incentives worth another $1.5 million.
Lorenzen, a former first-round pick, spent the first seven seasons with the Reds and worked mostly out of their bullpen from 2016 through 2021. Last season, though, he signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Angels who used him as a starter.
He made 18 starts, posting an 8-6 record with a 4.24 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. But his underlying metrics were encouraging.
He has a six-pitch mix and limited hitters to a .224 batting average and a .365 slugging percentage. His four-seam fastball was down a tick velocity-wise − as you’d expect as a starter (94 mph, down from 96 mph out of the bullpen) − but the spin rate is well above average (in the top 18 percentile).
His changeup was his most used and most effective pitch, limiting hitters to a .154 average with a 38% whiff rate. His slider was nasty, too, holding hitters to a .169 average (35% whiff rate).
After missing two months with a shoulder injury, he finished the season strong, allowing seven earned runs in his last five starts covering 26.2 innings. He had 30 strikeouts in those starts and limited hitters to a .161 average.
The Tigers rotation as of today looks like this: Eduardo Rodriguez, Boyd, Lorenzen, Matt Manning and Spencer Turnbull. Both Manning and Turnbull are coming off injuries. Also in the fight are Beau Brieske, Joey Wentz, Rony Garcia and Alex Faedo.
With the additions of Boyd and Lorenzen, it’s probable that Tyler Alexander, Garrett Hill and Rule 5 draft pick Mason Englert will be competing for bullpen roles.
cmccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky