Michael Lorenzen Colorado Rockies Phillies No Hitter

Phillies legend Michael Lorenzen signs with the Colorado Rockies

Drew Smith
January 8, 2026
Phillies
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The Colorado Rockies actually landed a recognizable name in free agency, which in itself feels like newsworthy behavior. According to Jeff Passan, right-hander Michael Lorenzen has agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Colorado Rockies, with a $9 million club option for the 2027 season.

Michael Lorenzen signs with the Colorado Rockies

Michael Lorenzen and the Rockies are reportedly in agreement on a one-year contract. pic.twitter.com/gKzJR78yPc
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 8, 2026

The Rockies just went 43–119 and spent most of last season functioning as a nightly baseball crime scene. On paper, this is still a surprising get.

Michael Lorenzen, now 34, was an All-Star as recently as 2023 with the Tigers and has proven he can still be a functional big-league starter.

Last season with the Royals was more uneven, as he finished 7–11 with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP across 26 starts, but even that version of Lorenzen represents a meaningful upgrade for a rotation that desperately needs innings.

I’m writing about it because Michael Lorenzen, against all odds, threw the 14th no-hitter in Philadelphia Phillies history back in August 2023.

August 9, 2023: Michael Lorenzen throws the 14th no-hitter in Phillies history

Michael Lorenzen has thrown a 124 pitch no-hitter! pic.twitter.com/ag7gYO8lcR
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 10, 2023

Anyways, Colorado isn’t pretending it’s one pitcher away from relevance. This is a low-risk, innings-eating signing for a team that has been allergic to competent pitching for years. At $8 million, the bar is stability. Take the ball every fifth day. Keep games from spiraling by the fourth inning. Be a professional.

If Lorenzen gives them that, the contract is already a win.

Of course, signing former All-Stars in Colorado comes with some historical baggage. Rockies fans still have PTSD from the Kris Bryant deal, which somehow managed to be expensive, unproductive, and cursed all at once. That contract has become the cautionary tale for every “name-brand” free agent the Rockies even look at.

This is no where close to the Bryant contract. This is a short-term flyer with an option attached, not a franchise-altering commitment. Lorenzen, for all his flaws, has shown he can handle pressure moments and again, eve made baseball history a few years ago with a no-hitter in South Philly.

That alone puts him near the top of Colorado’s current pitching food chain.

He’ll likely enter spring training as the frontrunner to headline the 2026 rotation, which is both an opportunity for Lorenzen and an indictment of the roster around him. Pitching at Coors Field is never forgiving, but if he survives there, he’ll earn every dollar.