Rangers Trade Michael Lorenzen to Royals

By Nate Miller

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

July 29, 2024

The Texas Rangers made their second move before the trade deadline. The announcement came on Monday that they have traded right-hander Michael Lorenzen to the Kansas City Royals. Heading to Arlington in the exchange are minor league left-hander Walter Pennington. Toward the end the spring training in 2024, Lorenzen inked a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Rangers, and yielded a 3.81 ERA in 101 2/3 innings. The Rangers traded for Detroit Tigers catcher Carson Kelly on Sunday night. The trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. C.T.

Movement in the Rotation

The Rangers’ starting rotation is about to see some major changes. Right-handers Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle are on their way back from respective elbow surgeries. Lorenzen — who had a 5.97 ERA in his last seven starts for Texas, including one on Saturday in which he lasted two-thirds of an inning against the Toronto Blue Jays — would have been on the outside looking in with Nathan Eovaldi, Max Scherzer, Andrew Heaney and Jon Gray already on the active roster.

Michael Lorenzen became a fan favorite among the Rangers faithful. People loved him for his competitiveness. He threw four innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen in Sunday’s loss to the Blue Jays one day after he threw 40 pitches during his first-inning meltdown.

What Pennington Brings

Pennington has posted a 2.26 ERA in 59 2/3 innings this season at Triple-A Omaha. He has almost exclusively pitched out of the bullpen in his four professional seasons. The 26-year-old lefty made his major league debut on July 5 with the Royals and pitched two-thirds of an inning, recording one strikeout in a 4–2 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Pennington throws a sinker, four-seam fastball, cutter, and slider with velocity that sits in the low 90s.

The Rangers are doing everything they can to secure a second consecutive playoff spot, but they are short on time. They currently sit 4 1/2 games out of first place in the AL West. The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners are tied for first in that division at the moment.