Rockies Sign Lorenzen to $8M Deal for 2026

The Colorado Rockies have signed veteran right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen to a one-year contract worth $8 million for the 2026 season, with a $9 million club option for 2027, according to multiple sources familiar with the agreement. The deal, first reported by ESPN on Wednesday evening, marks the team's first major free-agent acquisition since Paul DePodesta took over as president of baseball operations in early November.

Lorenzen, 34, brings 11 years of major league experience to a Rockies rotation that struggled last season, posting the worst team ERA in baseball en route to a franchise-record 43-119 finish. The club has not officially announced the signing, but sources confirmed Lorenzen will compete for a spot in the starting lineup, providing much-needed depth after a year of pitching inconsistencies. Colorado's 40-man roster, which reached capacity with this addition and a separate waiver claim of reliever Keegan Thompson, now features Lorenzen as a potential back-end starter at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

A first-round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2013 MLB Draft out of Cal State Fullerton, Lorenzen debuted in 2015 and spent his first seven seasons with the...