REPORTS: Lance Lynn returning to Cardinals on one-year deal

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Cardinals are reuniting with Lance Lynn, the last active player from their 2011 World Series championship.

Lynn, now 36 years old, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Cardinals worth around $10 million, per reports. Sources have confirmed the deal with baseball insiders Jeff Passan and Ken Rosenthal.

Lynn will presumably join a rotation needing some change, one in which only Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz likely have spots, if healthy.

Leading up to the offseason, Cardinals lead executive John Mozeliak has emphasized the need to add three new starting pitchers. Lynn could represent one of those additions. One pitcher previously thought to be a top target, Aaron Nola, decided to stay put with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Lynn began his MLB career with the Cardinals, faring 72-47 with a 3.38 ERA over six seasons. He was an All-Star in 2012 with St. Louis and also in 2021 with the Chicago White Sox.

His 2021 campaign (11-6, 2.69 ERA) also earned him a third-place finish in the AL Cy Young Award voting. He most recently pitched with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Lynn’s 2023 season with Chicago and Los Angeles was a bit of a roller coaster. He won 13 games and struck out 191. But his 5.93 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 44 home runs allowed were among the worst for qualified starters last year. Perhaps that makes him a good fit on a Cardinals squad also seeking a bounce back from a 2023 season that led to one of their worst records in decades.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

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