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Rockies Reach One-Year Deal With Michael Lorenzen, Signaling Pitching Reset

Team evaluators see the veteran’s broad pitch mix as a live test bed for a revamped staff at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Overview

  • The reported agreement is for one year at $8 million with a $9 million club option, and it remains pending a standard physical.
  • Analysts frame the move as a break from Colorado’s bargain approach, marking its first outside free-agent starter over $5 million in more than a decade.
  • Lorenzen’s seven-plus pitch arsenal is expected to help new coaches Alon Leichman, Gabe Ribas, and director of pitching Matt Daniels assess which offerings play at altitude and on the road.
  • The Rockies have internally discussed asking Lorenzen to hit again, though a true two-way role is viewed as unlikely given he has not batted in MLB since 2021.
  • Colorado is rebuilding after a 43-119 season with a modern-era worst 6.65 team ERA, and has also added Jake McCarthy, Brennan Bernardino, and Keegan Thompson this winter.