Dodgers acquire Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly from White Sox in trade deadline splash
Joe Kelly #JoeKelly
Another trade deadline domino has fallen, this time involving the contending Dodgers, the selling White Sox and a former mid-season acquisition for the Yankees in 2018.
The Dodgers acquired pitcher — and ex-Yankees starter — Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly on Friday, according to The Post’s Joel Sherman, with ESPN reporting that pitcher Nick Nastrini, pitcher Jordan Leasure and outfielder Trayce Thompson will head back to the White Sox.
This marks the Dodgers’ third trade as the deadline nears, with the team also involved in deals that brought utility player Kiké Hernandez and shortstop Amed Rosario to the NL West leaders.
Lynn and Kelly — at ages 36 and 35, respectively — both emerged as trade deadline targets given their contract situations that included club options for 2024.
Lynn has struggled on the mound this season since inking a two-year, $38 million extension with Chicago in July 2021.
The former Yankee has a 6.28 ERA and a league-leading 78 earned runs and 28 home runs allowed through 21 starts this season.
Lance Lynn was traded to the Dodgers on Friday.AP
However, Lynn is also an experienced starter with the 15th-highest strikeout rate in MLB.
He has recently brought back his effective curveball and now, with a stronger defensive team behind him, could see progression in his game as the second half of the season rolls out.
With three consecutive top-six Cy Young finishes from 2019-21, Lynn – and the Dodgers – know what he is capable of, especially on a contending squad.
Joe Kelly was traded to the Dodgers on Friday, reuniting him with the franchise he won the 2020 World Series with.AP
He could have some extra motivation after having only pitched in the playoffs once since 2015.
Lynn had to approve the deal — the Dodgers were on his 10-team no-trade list — and is owed around $6 million for the rest of this year and an additional $1 million buyout of his $18.5 million club option next season.
The Dodgers, who currently sit in first place in the National West League and are 15 games over .500, also welcome back Kelly to Dodger Stadium.
The reliever pitched for the Dodgers from 2019-21, and he was part of the 2020 team — along with Hernandez — that won the World Series in MLB’s shortened season.
Kelly’s ERA sits at 4.97 through 31 relief appearances and has a club option in 2024 after signing a two-year $17 million deal with the White Sox in 2022.
The relief pitcher, who signed a two-year, $17 million deal with Chiacago in 2022, also has a club option in 2024.
He’ll add some cushion to the backend of the Dodgers’ bullpen as the team is currently without Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May and Ryan Pepiot.
Entering Friday’s game, the Dodgers rotation ranked 21st in the league with a 4.71 ERA.
Teams have until Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. to make trades, and the Mets also completed their first deal as a seller Thursday night by sending David Robertson to the Marlins in exchange for two prospects.