How Detroit Tigers performance coach Shane Wallen helped Michael Lorenzen land new deal

Michael Lorenzen credits Shane Wallen for keeping him ready.

Lorenzen, who pitched for the Detroit Tigers last season, spent this past offseason waiting for the right opportunity in free agency. He signed with the Texas Rangers on a one-year, $4.5 million contract, but he didn't sign until the third week of March, more than one month after spring training began.

It was a frustrating offseason for Lorenzen.

"Just being patient and trusting that God has a perfect plan," said Lorenzen, whom the Tigers traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at last year's trade deadline. "That was the battle all offseason, just doing everything I could to not get in the way of what he had working for me and trusting whatever happened is meant to be."

But it wasn't a wasted offseason.

That's because Wallen, now in his second season as the Tigers' major league performance coach, helped Lorenzen keep his body and throwing arm ready for peak performance while Lorenzen's agent searched for a multi-year contract in free agency.

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When spring training started, Lorenzen still didn't have a job for the upcoming season as the free-agent market reached a prolonged standstill. Wallen told Lorenzen to track all of his bullpen sessions and live batting practice sessions.

"He was making sure that I was keeping up because I didn't want a team to use that an excuse for whatever it may be," Lorenzen said of Wallen, "so I made sure to document all of my bullpens and all of my live BPs, just so it couldn't be used against me."

Lorenzen, a 10-year MLB veteran, never got the multi-year deal he wanted, but his arm was prepared to pitch when the Rangers — the defending World Series champions — signed him to a one-year contract. He signed with the Rangers in late March and made his season debut in mid-April against the Tigers at Comerica Park, throwing 79 pitches and five scoreless innings.

The Tigers lost, 1-0, in Lorenzen's return to Comerica Park.

Wallen wrote Lorenzen's offseason program, which included recovery at the beginning of the offseason, lifting heavy weights in the middle of the offseason and athletic movements at the end of the offseason. Wallen also created a spring training throwing program for Lorenzen to follow from his home in California while waiting to sign.

"The progressions that he's able to put together are pretty incredible," Lorenzen said. "He's made me fall back in love with working out again. It can get a little boring and monotonous, and then he brought something new. He's one of the few guys I've been in baseball that trains the way he trains."

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Wallen prioritizes athleticism and explosiveness through plyometric exercises.

"This is my most athletic, fastest, strongest," said Lorenzen, who celebrated his 32nd birthday in the offseason. "I jump the highest and run the fastest that I've ever jumped and ran in my entire life."

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The Tigers hired Wallen as their major league performance coach before the 2023 season. He previously worked for the Chicago Cubs (2019-22), San Francisco 49ers (2018) and Cleveland Browns (2016-17) after graduating from Oregon State.

After Year 1 of Wallen's program, the Tigers added an assistant major league performance coach to work alongside him in Year 2. For that role, the Tigers hired Drew Heithoff, who previously worked for the San Diego Padres, ahead of the 2024 season.

"The content is second to none," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "The relationship skills is actually going to put that content in place with the player. I'll have to talk to Shane about if he helped (Lorenzen) get to the point where he could beat us, but I applaud the staff in general, but Shane in particular, for being the guy that players trust."

Lorenzen didn't know Wallen before teaming up with the Tigers in the 2023 season.

He expects them to be friends for life.

"He's incredible," Lorenzen said. "He's super loyal. He wants you to perform at the best of your abilities. He's staying up late and programming for you, waking up early and programming for you. He's doing everything he can to get the most out of the athletes over there, and he's really good with handling each guy on an individual basis."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How Detroit Tigers performance coach helped Lorenzen find new team