After missing out on Aaron Nola, the St. Louis Cardinals turned to a familiar face to try to help alleviate starting pitching issues from a season before.
According to multiple reports, the Cardinals have signed two-time MLB All-Star Lance Lynn to a one-year deal. ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan reported Monday that the deal comes with a club option that guarantees around $10 million.
The 36-year-old Lynn is returning to the Gateway of the West for the third time, as he had two prior stints with the ballclub that selected him with the 39th overall pick of the 2008 MLB draft (2011-15, 2017). Lynn was named an All-Star with St. Louis during the 2012 MLB season.
As The Athletic’s Katie Woo cleverly pointed out, both sides are looking for a bounce-back season, giving more context to a logical reunion. In 2023, the Cardinals rotation had a 4.81 ERA, which ranked 24th in the Majors. Spending time between the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers last season, Lynn pitched to a 13-11 record with a 5.73 ERA and allowed an MLB-leading 44 home runs.
While his time with the Dodgers was a bit better, compiling a 7-2 record in starts with a 4.36 ERA, last year’s overall campaign was his worst statistical season since 2018 when he was with the Minnesota Twins. Ironically enough, Lynn maintained a career-high strikeout rate in 2023, striking out 10.8 hitters per nine innings during the first half of the season with the White Sox. He also struck out a total of 191 batters, which was the most he struck out in a season since 2019 (246 with the Texas Rangers).
Lynn will look to revitalize his career in the place it started as St. Louis continues to rebuild its rotation.
