The Royals have declined their end of the $12MM mutual option in Michael Lorenzen’s contract for the 2026 season, MLB.com’s Anne Rogers reports. Lorenzen will instead receive a $1.5MM buyout and enter free agency.
The veteran right-hander first came to Kansas City in a trade from the Rangers prior to the 2024 deadline, and Lorenzen delivered 28 2/3 innings of 1.57 ball down the stretch for the Royals even though a hamstring strain kept him on the injured list for about a month. The two sides reunited on a one-year free agent last winter worth $7MM in guaranteed money — a $5.5MM salary for 2025, and then the $1.5MM buyout.
Mutual options are almost never mutually exercised, so both sides surely viewed the contract as just a one-year pact. Lorenzen’s numbers weren’t as sharp in 2025, as he posted a 4.64 ERA, a subpar 21% strikeout rate, and a host of other uninspiring Statcast metrics over 141 2/3 innings (starting 26 of 27 games). Lorenzen’s 4.16 SIERA at least outpaced his ERA by almost half a run, perhaps due to a solid 6.4% walk rate that matched the righty’s career best.
Kansas City brought Lorenzen back with the idea that he could eat innings at the back of the rotation, and he ended up being particularly important given how many Royals starters missed time on the IL. The injury bug bit Lorenzen himself in July when an oblique strain sidelined him for a month, but over the last three years, Lorenzen has quietly averaged 141 2/3 innings per season.
Lorenzen’s lack of velocity and strikeout ability will limit his earning potential, and he’ll probably get just one-year offers since he turns 34 in January. But plenty of teams are in need of back-end rotation help or starting depth in general, plus Lorenzen’s past history as a relief pitcher makes him a candidate to be converted into a bullpen role on a postseason roster. Kansas City has enough rotation depth that another deal with Lorenzen is probably unlikely, but the Royals could look to trade a starter and then re-sign Lorenzen to fill that void later in the winter. This is exactly what the Royals did last offseason, in trading Brady Singer to the Reds and then signing Lorenzen about six weeks later.
The Royals’ other option decisions include a $5MM mutual option with Randal Grichuk’s services for 2026 (with a $3MM buyout), and a $13.5MM club option Salvador Perez. It is expected that Grichuk’s option will be declined and Perez’s option will be either exercised, or the team will negotiate another multi-year extension with the longtime catcher.
Nobody ever wants this guy. Going to become a 1 year contract merchant
You are right but he will still get 8 to 10 million.
A net $10.5M for a veteran coming off 140 innings with a low 4 SIERA seems pretty reasonable.
That’s the life of a back-of-the-rotation starter.
The dude made seven starts for the Phillies, and one of them was a complete-gamer no-hitter. That was pretty gnikcuf cool.
And after that no hitter the wheels completely fell off
So, I’m guessing you’re the glass half empty, finding a dark cloud in every silver lining type?
Thought he would be better than what he was in KC. Good idea to let him walk ⚾
“Mutual options are almost never mutually exercised” You can say that again. Last time a mutual option was exercised was in early 2015 between the Brewers and Aramis Ramirez. They’re just contractual devices that created some sort of false hope in the fan base.
The reds could use him when they trade a pitcher
Actually, he could fill the Martinez role quite nicely when he signs with a bigger market.
He had some success in the reds bullpen…