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, the San Francisco Giants, while there is a three-way tie for the third spot, all of which are 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, helping 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.
