Tigers Trade Michael Lorenzen to the Phillies

(Article image creds: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Originally published August 1st, 2023, for Kill That Noise (edited and revised)

The Detroit Tigers are trading pitcher Michael Lorenzen to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Philadelphia’s 5th-ranked prospect Hao-Yu Lee.

Lorenzen has had a solid season to date, posting a 5-7 record with a 3.58 ERA–Lorenzen is a rental, with him becoming a free agent after the end of the 2023 season.

Lee is an incredible return for Detroit. He is a 20-year-old Taiwanese phenom who, in 64 games in High-A ball, is batting .283. While Lee may not have power numbers, he is putting up an excellent season at the plate.

The Phillies made this trade to further push their chances at a Wild Card spot in the postseason.

They are currently one-half game behind the top Wild Card spot San Francisco Giants, while there is a three-way tie for the third spot, who are all a half-game behind the Phillies.

Getting Michael Lorenzen as pitching depth will help the Phillies attempt to make another deep postseason run.

Hao-Yu Lee is an excellent return for the Tigers as he helps them build for the future. The Tigers have struggled for many seasons, and trading for a young top prospect will help the team’s future, as having a pitcher like Lorenzen won’t help them now.