Lance

Lynn

There were some rumors early in the spring that Lynn may sign with a pitching-needy team, but that no longer appears to be a likely outcome. If this is indeed it for Lynn, the two-time All-Star will retire with a 143-99 record with a 3.74 career ERA and 9.00 K/9 in 2006 1/3 innings over 13 seasons. He played for six different teams, but spent the majority of his career with the Cardinals.

It remains to be seen if the deal gets finalized, but it appears to be close. Lynn isn’t a bad choice to fill out an MLB rotation since he registered a 3.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 109/44 K/BB ratio over 117 1/3 innings in 23 starts with the Cardinals in 2024. He will certainly not be ready for Opening Day if the Cubs sign him two weeks before the season starts, but he could push Colin Rea or Jordan Wicks for the fifth spot in the rotation by the end of April.

With Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) out for the season and Luis Gil (lat) out until June, there are some rumors that the Yankees will trade for a starting pitcher to help fill the gaps in their rotation. However, Morosi said the Yankees are unlikely to make a deal for Dylan Cease because the team is not in the position to add more salary to their roster, and they also don’t have the depth in their farm system to deal for a starter who has one year remaining on his deal. While things could change, Morosi believes the Yankees are more likely to sign a free agent like Kyle Gibson or Lance Lynn.

The 37-year-old has pitched nearly exclusively as a starter in his 13-year big league career, but he could be an interesting option in short spurts out of the bullpen. Rosenthal notes that Lynn is “intrigued” by the idea, but it’s unclear which teams may have been inquiring about the role. Lynn registered a 3.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a 109/44 K/BB ratio over 117 1/3 innings in 23 starts with the Cardinals in 2024. If he did find a job at the back end of the bullpen, it would make him relevant from a fantasy perspective once again.

Lynn has overhauled his training regimen, dropping from 280 to 260, in an effort to overcome persistent knee issues that bothered him last year. The 37-year-old veteran had his $11 million team option for the 2025 season declined last month by the Cardinals after being limited to just 23 starts last year, finishing with a pedestrian 3.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 109/44 K/BB ratio across 117 1/3 innings. Lynn should be able to latch on somewhere as an innings-eating, back-end rotation stabilizer, but his days as a relevant fantasy contributor are probably in the rearview for good.

Lynn has a $1 million buyout and will now enter free agency coming off a season in which he posted a 3.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 109/44 K/BB ratio in 117 1/3 innings. He should be able to find a prove-it deal somewhere.

Assuming the Cardinals don’t make the postseason, Lynn’s thrown his last pitch in 2024. The right-hander was just activated off the injured list September 11, and apparently the 37-year-old is still dealing with the problem. Michael McGreevy is up to replace Lynn on the roster. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the year.

Lynn has allowed two runs in two starts since coming off the IL. Including his three starts before going down with a knee injury, he’s given up five runs in five starts, lowering his ERA from 4.48 to 3.84. He’ll face the Rockies in Coors in what will probably be his final start of the season. He actually has a 2.36 ERA in five career starts in Denver.

Lynn is such a throwback. He just says, “here’s my fastball, try and hit it” every time he’s on the mound. He probably adds some more colorful language to that hypothetical, but you get the idea. 90% of his pitches in this game were either his four-seam fastball – which led the way with 63% usage – two-seamer, or sinker and the Reds managed just three hard-hit balls off those three offerings. He’s scheduled to face the Pirates in his next start.

Lynn will be making his first start since the end of July, as the 37-year-old has been on the injured list with knee inflammation. He’s a risky option in his first outing back, and there’s probably a better streaming option for Wednesday’s slate.