DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have traded starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen to the Philadelphia Phillies for prospect Hao-Yu Lee, according to reports.
MLB.com’s Jon Morosi first reported the deal.
Lorenzen’s season in Detroit
Lorenzen, 31, was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise ugly first half. He was the Tigers’ All-Star representative because of Eduardo Rodriguez’s injury and pitched a scoreless inning in the game.
This has been the best season of Lorenzen’s career as a starter. He owns a 3.58 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and is striking out 7.1 batters per nine innings.
Lorenzen has had 10 starts allowing one or no runs this season, but also six starts allowing either five or six runs. Despite that inconsistency, the expected stats mostly back up what he’s done overall.
He signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Tigers this offseason, saying he had faith in the organization’s plan to get him on the right track after a rough 2022. That’s exactly what happened, and the brief marriage certainly seems to have been a win for both parties.
What Tigers got in return
Although Tigers fans are frustrated to once again be playing the part of a July farm system for playoff contenders, the Lorenzen signing was obviously a win for new president Scott Harris.
Lorenzen was not a highly sought-after free agent this offseason. Harris took a low-risk chance by offering Lorenzen a one-year deal, and the Tigers parlayed that into more prospects for the future.
How soon will the Tigers be competitive? It’s hard to say, but Harris chose 18-year-old Max Clark over college slugger Wyatt Langford in the draft, suggesting he thinks the team is still years away from true contention.
So how does Lee fit into that equation?
Hao-Yu Lee is a 20-year-old infielder who signed with Philadelphia in June 2021 out of Taiwan. He has a highly regarded hit tool and a solid glove. His power is still developing, according to the minor-league numbers.
🦀 Touch 'em all Hao-Yu Lee💣 It's his 5th of the year...Claws rolling, 4-1 in the 3rd! pic.twitter.com/hfGVdJDKN0
— Jersey Shore BlueClaws (@BlueClaws) July 30, 2023
Last season, Lee was aggressively promoted from Rookie ball to Single-A and then High-A. Overall, he slashed .284/.386/.438 (a .824 OPS) with nine home runs, 15 doubles, and 14 steals in 79 games. He drew 43 walks and struck out 67 times.
This season in High-A, Lee is batting .283 with a .372 on-base percentage and a .401 slugging percentage. He has five homers, 12 doubles, and 14 steals in 64 games.
