Tigers' Michael Lorenzen Traded to Phillies; DET Gets Prospect Hao-Yu Lee

The Philadelphia Phillies have made their move as they look to solidify the rotation down the stretch.

The Phillies announced they acquired starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for infielder prospect Hao-Yu Lee.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi first reported the news.

Lorenzen was named to his first All-Star Game this season and is 5-7 with a 3.58 ERA in 2023. He has 105.2 innings pitched in 2023 and should easily surpass his career high of 113.1 innings he set during his rookie season in 2015.

Lee was the Phillies' No. 5 prospect and is projected to be MLB-ready in 2025. The 20-year-old is currently playing at the High A level.

Lorenzen is set to join a Phillies rotation that has the 11th-best ERA in MLB. He looks to slot into the No. 4 slot in the rotation behind starters Aaron Nola, Zach Wheeler and Taijuan Walker.

He also has spent years in MLB as a reliever, so he could serve that role if needed as the team prepares for another postseason run given how much success Cristopher Sanchez has experienced.

The Phillies sit at 57-49 in 2023 and are in second place in the NL East, trailing the Atlanta Braves by 11 games for the division lead. They hold the second Wild Card position at the moment, with a half game lead on the spot.

The Tigers are in third place in the AL Central at 47-59 and appear likely to miss the postseason for the ninth consecutive season. Four of the team's top five prospects are projected to reach the majors in either 2024 or 2025, so Lee can potentially factor into that future core.