Inside The Cardinals

Ex-Cardinals All-Star, World Series Champ Projected To Sign With Nationals

There are some very capable players still looking for new homes
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 29, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Washington Nationals hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sep 29, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Washington Nationals hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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There are some solid pieces available still on the open market.

Most of the chatter throughout the offseason so far across Major League Baseball has been about big-name free agents like Juan Soto, Alex Bregman, or Corbin Burnes. There are plenty of other guys out there who have garnered as many headlines but can help teams in 2025.

One who comes to mind is former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star and World Series champion Lance Lynn. He returned to the Cardinals in 2024 and logged a 3.83 ERA across 23 starts. He had a 109-to-44 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 117 ⅓ innings pitched.

Lynn is available on the open market and absolutely can help secure the back end of a team’s rotation. It’s unclear what will happen, but Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer predicted he will end up landing with the Washington Nationals.

“It's Lance Lynn,” Rymer said. “You know who he is. He's a two-time All-Star who has been around forever. But at this point, he also seems to be over the hill. He had a 5.73 ERA in 2023 and even his improvement in 2024 wasn't exactly consistent. Last year was a near-constant battle between him and his right knee. On the plus side, at least Lynn got his fastball to come back to life.

“After sinking to minus-9 in 2023, the run value on the veteran's four-seamer shot back up to plus-16 last season. It helped that he was able to get more spin on it, going from 2,424 RPM in 2023 to 2,454 RPM in 2024. As for that bothersome knee, Lynn saw the writing on the wall and told Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic that he dropped 20 pounds this winter. If that leads to better health in 2025, he could be a valuable source of innings. Prediction: Signs with Washington Nationals.”

Lynn still has something left in the tank. Washington is a young team that could use a veteran for the rotation. Lynn could be that guy.

More MLB: How Cardinals Have 'Surprised' Teams This Offseason, Per MLB Insider

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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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