AL's biggest surprise contender poaches former All-Star SP from Rangers

The Kansas City Royals (57-49) are arguably MLB's biggest surprise contender, occupying the third AL wild-card spot as the season approaches the end of July.

The defending champion Texas Rangers (51-55), meanwhile, are perhaps the league's biggest disappointment, as they sit six games behind the Royals.

With the 2024 MLB trade deadline set for 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Kansas City made it clear it is a buyer this summer, acquiring a key member of the Rangers rotation on Monday.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted that despite the trade, Texas may not be going into full sell mode, as Michael Lorenzen was likely to lose his spot in the starting rotation anyway as the Rangers' arms get healthier.

The Royals, on the other hand, now have a reliable No. 3 or No. 4 starter to slide in behind co-aces Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo.

Lorenzen served as a two-way player until 2021 and made his first All-Star team in 2023 before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies hours before last year's trade deadline on Aug. 1.

He fired a no-hitter in just his second outing with the club and finished the season 9-9 with a 4.18 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 111 strikeouts over 152.3 innings pitched covering 29 games (25 starts) with the Phillies and Detroit Tigers.

Lorenzen went 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 75 strikeouts across 101 2/3 innings pitched covering 19 games (18 starts) with the Rangers in 2024.