Inside The Cardinals

Ex-Cardinals Fan-Favorite Called Possible Solution For AL Contender

The former Cardinals fan-favorite somehow is still available
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsBaltimore Orioles

The St. Louis Cardinals opted against picking up Lance Lynn's club option for the 2025 Major League Baseball.

He was great for the Cardinals in his return in 2024 and finished the year with a 3.84 ERA across 23 starts. Part of the reason why the Cardinals brought him back last year was because St. Louis' starting rotation imploded in 2023. The Cardinals needed to re-group and turned to Lynn because of the fact that he's dependable.

Lynn was everything the Cardinals could've asked for last year but they are going to be at least somewhat younger in 2025. Lynn's still out there on the open market. Will a team sign him before Opening Day?

Opening Day is just over two weeks away and injuries have popped up across the league, unsurprisingly. One team that has been bitten by the injury bug is the Baltimore Orioles. Because of this, The Baltimore Banner's Andy Kostka suggested Lynn as a potential solution for the Orioles.

"RHP Lance Lynn," Kostka said. "Lance Lynn produced a resurgent 2024 season with the Cardinals by posting a 3.84 ERA, but nagging knee issues held him to 117 1/3 innings. The 37-year-old lost 20 pounds this offseason, however, to reduce pressure on his legs and hips, according to The Athletic.

"Lynn lowered his home run rate per nine innings to 1.2, down from the 2.2 he averaged in 2023. A downside, of course, is that Lynn saw his strikeout-to-walk ratio dip to his lowest rate since 2018 (2.48 strikeouts per walk)."

After the year Lynn had in 2024, a team absolutely should give him a shot.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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