The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly adding to their pitching staff ahead of Tuesday’s Major League Baseball trade deadline.
The Phillies have reached a deal to acquire All-Star right-hander Michael Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers, according to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan. MLB Network‘s Jon Morosi, who first mentioned that the trade was close, reported that infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee would be part of the package heading to Detroit. Lee was the No. 4 prospect in Phillies Nation‘s latest ranking of the farm system.
Lorenzen, while named an All-Star this year, is not a star-level pitcher, but he has been solid for the Tigers on a one-year deal. In 18 starts, he has a 3.58 ERA in 105 2/3 innings.
While he’s been a starter for the last two seasons, Lorenzen also has plenty of experience out of the bullpen — and even some additional experience in the outfield from earlier in his career. On pace to shatter his career high in innings, Lorenzen should be a versatile addition to the pitching depth who can be utilized in a number of different ways and scenarios down the stretch and in a potential playoff run — picture a better version of Noah Syndergaard in 2022, in terms of usage.
The Phillies could still be in the market for additional acquisitions, namely in left field or in the bullpen. Whether or not they land another player via trade will remain to be seen, but they only have until 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.