Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Lorenzen in Blockbuster Trade with Tigers

The Philadelphia Phillies acquire starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen in trade with the Detroit Tigers before MLB trade deadline.

Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies were waiting to see what types of the moves the front office would put together ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Tuesday.

It has been rumored for weeks that outfielders would be the top priority for the Phillies as they look to upgrade one of the worst outfield defenses in the majors.

However, the first move that came was to get a starting pitcher.

MLB Insider Jon Morosi reported that Philadelphia is trading for Detroit Tigers All-Star pitcher Michael Lorenzen before the deadline. They're reportedly sending their top five prospect, infielder Hao-Yu Lee, back in return.

Lorenzen is having his best year as a starter, posting a 3.58 ERA in 18 starts with the Tigers.

He should be a big help for the starting rotation that has underperformed with a 4.15 ERA this season, ranking 12th in the league.

Giving up Lee is not that big of a blow to their farm system. With the infield set up for the future with Trea Turner and Bryson Stott, it makes sense that he would be the player on the way out to get a deal done.

The Phillies are hoping that adding another high end starter to their rotation will push them over the top in the playoff race.

The battle for the final Wild Card spot is extremely tight, with three teams all tied for the last position in the playoffs.