The St. Louis Cardinals have signed veteran right hander Lance Lynn to a one-year contract. Still pending a physical, the contract is worth $10 million in 2024 and comes with a team option for the 2025 season. Full of incentives, the contract could be worth north of $26 million if Lynn plays through the contract. This deal brings Lance back to the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2008 Amateur Draft out of the University of Mississippi.
Since he made his debut for the Cardinals in 2011, Lynn has played 12 big league seasons. In those 12 seasons, he has bounced around, pitching for the Cardinals, the Minnesota Twins, the New York Yankees, the Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lynn has played in two All-Star games, one in 2012 and one in 2021. The Cardinals hope that adding Lynn can help balance out one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball last season.
The Cardinals ranked 24th in baseball in 2023 with a 4.79 team ERA. 27th in WHIP with a 1.456 and 29th in average against with a .276. A historically bad pitching season for the Cardinals helped lead them to their worst record since 1990 at 71–91. With the Adam Wainwright goodbye tour over, the Cardinals hope that Lynn can provide the same veteran presence and can help lead St. Louis back to the playoffs.
Lance Lynn through the Years
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In 12 major league season for Lynn, he has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball. In those 1889 IP, Lynn holds a 3.74 ERA, 1.272 WHIP, 112 ERA+, and a 29.8 bWAR. He has seen some regression in his stats in the past few seasons due to some injury issues. But he was the Dodgers’ most consistent pitcher down the stretch in 2023. This suggested to the Cardinals that he still has gas in the tank and is able to provide some value for them.
Lynn was traded at the deadline of the 2023 season to the Dodgers from the White Sox. With the White Sox, Lynn threw 119 2/3 innings with a 6.47 ERA, 1.462 WHIP, and a 69 OPS+. These are pedestrian numbers for a pitcher who has been well known for his consistency. He was able to turn things around in his 64 innings with the Dodgers. He went 7-2 in 11 starts with a 4.36 ERA, a 1.266 WHIP, and a 100 OPS+.
More from the Cardinals?
With a sound lineup, including former NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Lars Nootbar, Nolan Gorman, Dylan Carlson, and more, the Cardinals appear primed to be aggressive in the pitching side of free agency. Pitching is deep this off-season, with names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery along with trade candidates in Dylan Cease, Tyler Glasnow, and Corbin Burnes. The Cardinals can put themselves in a strong position going into 2024 if they can make a trade or sign one of the bigger names.
