MLB insider believes Cardinals made a mistake by landing Lance Lynn: "Signing him first is a PR nightmare"
The St. Louis Cardinals have made their first major move of the offseason, bringing in veteran starting pitcher Lance Lynn. The 36-year-old signed a one-year, $10 million contract to return to the same club where he made his MLB debut back in 2011.
Although Lance Lynn is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, he has proven himself to be an effective starting pitcher throughout his 12-year MLB career. Even though his 2023 season was one to forget, it was believed that several teams would be vying for his signature this offseason, something that the St. Louis Cardinals did.
"Intial recation to Lance Lynn: 1. I don’t like it. I don’t hate it, but I’m not a fan. 2. There are still more moves to come, and I have a hard time believing this will be their biggest one…and hopefully it’s not even their second best. 3. Signing Lynn first is a PR nightmare" - @joshjacoMLB
Even though Lynn is worthy of signing a one-year "prove it" deal, some believe that he was not the ideal target for the St. Louis Cardinals, who also endured one of their most disappointing seasons last year. MLB insider Josh Jacobs believes that even though Lynn is a middle-of-the-road signing, he should not have been the first move of the offseason for the team.
Jacobs explained in a social media post that while the signing of Lynn does have some upside in terms of providing the team with multiple innings, "signing Lynn first is a PR nightmare". He went on to explain that he believes that it will not be the biggest signing of the offseason for the club, as they will be looking to improve upon their disappointing 2023 campaign.
"St. Louis Cardinals. Cardinals aim to add 3 starters to their blighted Pitching Rotation. The Club is working with about $40-50 million in payroll room, and they have multiple interesting position players that could be packaged in trade. It'll be a busy winter in St. Louis." - @GarySonnyChiba
Last season, the St. Louis Cardinals entered the year as one of the World Series favorites in the National League. However, it quickly became clear that the team was far from the quality that many had expected, finishing the season with a dismal 71-91 record.
Lance Lynn will look to re-establish his value with the St. Louis Cardinals
Both Lynn and the Cardinals may be perfect fits for one another during the 2024 season. Following their disastrous 2023 campaign, the team moved on from several veteran pitchers, which will open a spot in the rotation for Lynn to prove that he is still a viable rotation piece in the MLB.
The team is looking to rebuild their rotation following the retirement of club legend Adam Wainwright, as well as the departures of Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty at last year's trade deadline.
If Lance Lynn can bounce back, he could become a vital part of the team's rotation. If he is unable to regain his previous form, his one-year contract is one that the team could easily move off of.