Michael Lorenzen had a staff ally throughout the lengthy free agency winter.

DETROIT: This winter, Michael Lorenzen’s free agency didn’t go as anticipated.

However, he remained calm throughout the protracted wait and was happy with his destination.

The 32-year-old right-hander, who played the majority of 2023 for the Detroit Tigers, started the Texas Rangers’ opening game at Comerica Park on Monday night.

“I simply exercised patience and had faith in God’s well-thought-out plan. Regarding his lengthy winter, Lorenzen stated on Tuesday, “I tried not to get in the way of it. “That was my battle throughout the off-season: trusting that whatever happened was meant to be and doing everything in my power to not get in the way of what He had planned for me.”

At the deadline, Lorenzen—the lone All-Star for the Tigers from the previous summer—was traded to the Phillies in exchange for infielder Hao-Yu Lee.

Lorenzen did well at first with his new team, going so far as to throw a no-hitter. He did not make the team’s playoff roster, though, as he struggled the remainder of the campaign.

Lorenzen discovered a busy free-agent market full with rookies, but disappointingly dull. In the end, Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda were signed by the Tigers.

During his winter wait, he made some unexpected allies. In order to make sure he wasn’t slipping behind while other pitchers were warming up for games, Lorenzen said he routinely checked in with Shane Wallen, the major league performance coach for the Tigers.

According to Lorenzen, “He helped me with programming and stuff like that, making sure that I was keeping up and staying in shape.” “I desired not for a team to be

able to use that as a justification, so I took care to record everything—all of my live BPs, all of my bullpens—so it couldn’t be used against me.

“The best is Shane.” He puts forth a lot of effort for everyone. He’s taught me a lot of things. Just working with him and having him on my side has made me much better. Of course, I’m not on the Tigers anymore, and our Texas-based player is excellent as well. However, I’ll always talk to Shane.

Lorenzen’s one-year guarantee from the Rangers is only $4.5 million, which is roughly half of what he made last year. He never received the multiyear deal he had hoped for. However, he is a member of a strong team that is the reigning World Series champions.

“It’s quite amazing,” Lorenzen remarked. This club is extremely strong on all fronts, including pitching, offense, and defense. Being among these men is enjoyable.

Due to his late signing, Lorenzen was unable to begin the season with the major league team; therefore, he was making his Triple-A Round Rock debut on Monday.

Ironic, huh? I was actually texted by A.J. “It’s funny how baseball works,” he said, according to Lorenzen.

On Monday, Lorenzen put on his game face and didn’t want to reply or see his former teammates until the conclusion of Monday’s match.