Royals reunite with trade deadline acquisition to run it back for 2025

After making only a few minor moves since their November re-signing of starter Michael Wacha and subsequent trade acquisition of Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds, the Kansas City Royals are back in business.

Per a report by ESPN's Jeff Passan and confirmed by MLB.com's Anne Rogers, the Royals have re-signed pitcher Michael Lorenzen for the 2025 season. According to Rogers, the deal is a one-year, $5.5 million guarantee, with a mutual option for 2026 or a $1.5 million buyout.

Michael Lorenzen's new contract brings him back to the KC Royals

The deal marks Lorenzen's return to the team he pitched for down the 2024 stretch and then in the playoffs. In search of a veteran arm to strengthen their pitching staff as they became legitimate contenders for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015, the Royals obtained Lorenzen in a surprising trade deadline swap with the Texas Rangers that cost them star minor league reliever Walter Pennington.

Lorenzen was pitching well for Kansas City when a hamstring injury forced him to the Injured List on August 28 — 2-0 with a nifty 1.85 ERA at the time — and he missed almost a month before returning to the big league mound for a pair of late September appearances. He then worked twice against the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and was charged with one run in 2.1 innings.

He's 47-44 with a 3.99 ERA in 10 major league seasons.

How will the KC Royals utilize Michael Lorenzen?

Lorenzen has started and relieved, so he gives Kansas City the luxury of mixing and matching him to various situations — he can step into manager Matt Quatraro's starting rotation, take a spot in the Royals' inconsistent bullpen, or even serve as a swingman.

His most likely assignment, though, is the rotation, where trading starter Brady Singer for India created a significant vacancy. The Royals have already made it clear that they'll retry Kris Bubic as a starter, and Alec Marsh could fill the other spot. It makes sense, though, for a seasoned veteran like Lorenzen to join Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Wacha, and Bubic, and for Marsh to pitch out of the pen and be prepared to replace Bubic if he doesn't work out as a starter.