Lance Lynn’s return kicks off Cardinals’ rotation rebuild

A solid for both sides one year deal with an option.

Sometimes the things you want and write about become a reality. That happened today when the St. Louis Cardinals brought in Lance Lynn on a one year deal. Or, in this particular case, they brought Lynn back into the fold. The team he spent the first half of his career with will be his redemption song for the coming season.

The contract, first reported by Jeff Passan, includes a second year option. The guaranteed money is $10 million, with a chance to double that money in two seasons. A bargain deal for a pitcher who earned $18.5 million last season. The discount comes on the heels of an uneven 2023 season from Lynn, a year split between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The yikes element came from the 44 home runs allowed, 16 of which came in LA over just 64 innings. The trouble didn’t subside in the postseason, with Lynn allowing a soul crushing home run that became a semi popular meme.

Here’s the thing. A return to Busch Stadium, where the friendly pitcher confines will certainly decrease the long ones allowed, will be a nice remedy. Lynn’s 44 HR season long dread is more of an outlier; he’s only allowed 27 at most in a season before 2023. He’s still throwing hard, so the cheddar train will become less visible under the Arch and in the Central.

The benefit of an older Lynn is two fold. With the new schedule format favoring a more league versatile spread, he offers the perspective of a guy who has pitched for five teams since leaving St. Louis in 2017. He’s also still the guy who has faced the Cubs and Brewers plenty.

Lynn struck out 191 hitters in 2023, even with a higher walk rate. He can still get swings and misses from pros at a high rate. For his career, he strikes out three times as many hitters as he walks. He’s still hitting 93 miles-per-hour on his four seam fastball and 91 mph on his two seamer, a product of older age (37 in May), not as much of a factor.

Lance needs a few more fly balls to catch leather instead of a seat, which new surroundings will help. He needs to link up with his new battery mate, Willson “Hearts on Fire” Contreras, to become a strikeout rage machine. A duo that befuddles and possibly intimates hitters.

It’s a low risk, high reward first move of the offseason for the Cardinals, a team in need of much pitching. Lynn’s not here to be a savior; he never was before. He’s also not Aaron Nola, someone who is $172 million richer than he was last week. Lynn is a building block move, someone who looks better than the two other starters St. Louis has on the roster. I’ll take the 3.99 ERA from 2022, or the guy from the year before who ranked 5th in Cy Young voting.

If you are disappointed, you’ve forgotten the date on the calendar and who this team is. They’re not striking hot on a big contract right out of the gate. Treat it like a first step, and have a good night.

Photo Credit: Jeff Curry/USA Today Sports