MLB Rumors: Tigers' Mike Lorenzen Eyed by Marlins, Orioles Ahead of Trade Deadline

Detroit Tigers All-Star Michael Lorenzen has caught the attention of two playoff contenders ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Miami Marlins have shown interest in the right-handed pitcher.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported earlier in the week that the Baltimore Orioles have also looked into adding Lorenzen.

With a couple of tweaks to the roster in the offseason, it's not hard to envision a scenario where Detroit is a favorite in the American League Central in 2014.

Lorenzen has been a bright spot for the Tigers, but he's also 31 years old and set to become a free agent at the end of this season. His performance this year is also a pretty significant outlier to the rest of his career.

The right-hander has made 18 starts, tied for second-most in his career dating back to 2015. He's surpassed the 100-inning mark for the first time in eight years and has the best ERA (3.18) of his career as a starting pitcher.

Boasting the best record in the American League, the Orioles (63-40) have been aiming high on the trade market with a great opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Baltimore was among the teams that reportedly made inquiries to the Los Angeles Angels about Shohei Ohtani before the three-time All-Star was pulled off the trade block earlier this week.

It would be a surprise if the Orioles didn't come out of the trade deadline with at least one starting pitcher. Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish are the only starters currently on the team with an ERA under 4.50.

The Marlins have already indicated they are going to be buyers ahead of the deadline. They acquired closer David Robertson from the New York Mets earlier this week.

Like the Orioles, adding at least one starter before the trade deadline will provide a huge boost to Miami's rotation. Reigning NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara has been a disappointment with a 4.46 ERA.

Eury Pérez was surprisingly demoted to Triple-A earlier this month after allowing one run in six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 6. The start did come five days after he gave up six runs and recorded one out against the Atlanta Braves.

Miami (56-48) is in a tight race for a playoff spot in the NL. It is currently tied with the San Francisco Giants for the final wild card spot. There are five teams separated by one game in the NL wild card race, with the Chicago Cubs not far behind at 3.5 games back.