The Houston Astros have passed up on another free agent starting pitcher.
This time it was against their division opponents, the Texas Rangers.
According to The Athletic, the Rangers signed former Philadelphia Phillies starter Michael Lorenzen to a one-year, $4.5 million contract with up to $2.5 million in incentives.
The Astros reportedly expressed interest in Lorenzen after losing Blake Snell to the San Francisco Giants, who signed the two-time Cy Young champion to a two-year, $62 million contract. A price that Houston was unwilling to pay.
Now that Lorenzen is off the board, they may turn to someone like Mike Clevinger, who is still on the market and seeking for an inexpensive deal to re-establish his value at the MLB level.
Texas has added additional firepower to their rotation, which is currently missing Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, both of whom are expected to return later this summer.
Lorenzen made his MLB All-Star debut last season, starting for the Detroit Tigers. That first-half performance earned him a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he went on to pitch a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals on August 9.
Despite his good start, Lorenzen’s productivity dropped significantly down the stretch, and he pitched only 2.2 innings in the postseason as Philadelphia came within one game of returning to the World Series for the second consecutive season.
The righty only moved from the bullpen to the rotation two seasons ago, and there are still some doubts about his ability to succeed in the role. He will have that opportunity with the Rangers while they wait for the return of their two perennial Cy Young candidates.
