Among the free agent market is two-time All-Star starting pitcher Lance Lynn. As he nears the end of his career, the 37-year-old has made changes to support his abilities throughout his final seasons.
Last season, Lynn threw 117.1 innings while dealing with an injured right knee. This marked the lowest number of innings pitched in Lynn’s career, except for 2016 when he missed the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Since then, Lynn told The Athletic he lost 20 pounds. The 6-foot-5 right-hander now weighs 260 pounds.
“The older you get, you learn new things,” Lynn said to The Athletic. “When you look at your knees and lower body, with my age and the way my body’s built, I was going to have to lose a little bit of weight. That was the No. 1 priority, right out of the gate.”
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Shedding weight will ease pressure off Lynn’s right knee and increase his mobility. Lynn said his goal is to make 30 starts and throw 200 innings this season. He has not reached those marks since 2019 when he logged a 3.67 ERA across 33 starts and 208.1 innings.
He came close to reaching those marks in 2023 while playing for the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. Lynn made 32 starts and threw 183.2 innings.
The White Sox traded Lynn alongside right-handed pitcher Joe Kelly to the Dodgers at the trade deadline. In exchange, Chicago received outfielder Tryace Thompson and right-handed pitchers Nick Nastrini and Jordan Leasure. After accruing a 4.36 ERA across 11 starts in the second half of the season, Lynn elected free agency.
“I kind of came to the conclusion that I wasn’t done,” Lynn said to The Athletic. “And if I’m not done, I’ve got to change some stuff up, just to make sure I can do the things I need to do and give myself the best chance to stay healthy for as long as I want to do it.
The St. Louis Cardinals declined Lynn’s player option for 2025, along with those of pitchers Kyle Gibson and Kenyan Middleton. Now, the trio are free agents.
Lynn told The Athletic he has received calls from multiple teams who are seeking veteran experience. Boasting a 13-year career and a World Series title in his rookie season, Lynn is a viable option for several teams.
