Chicago Cubs' Divisional Rivals Reunite With Veteran Pitcher in Free Agency

The Chicago Cubs got some disappointing news when Aaron Nola signed a deal that took him off the market.

It was rumored that the Cubs were interested in signing the Philadelphia Phillies ace to have him be their top-of-the-rotation guy for years to come.

Now, news has come out that one of Chicago's division rivals have reunited with a veteran pitcher to kick off the early part of free agency.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the St. Louis Cardinals have signed Lance Lynn to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2025 season. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that it's a $10 million contract with potential to earn $3 million more with incentives.

Lynn was a staple in the Cardinals' rotation during his first run there, winning a World Series during his rookie season in 2011 and becoming an All-Star in 2012.

After departing St. Louis following the 2017 season, he became a journeyman, playing for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and most recently the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Lynn earned his second All-Star nod with the White Sox in 2021 after posting an 11-6 record with a 2.69 ERA across 28 starts. He finished third in AL Cy Young voting that season and looked to still have gas in the tank.

However, the past two years have been a struggle for the veteran pitcher. He'll look to reclaim his top-level form with his original team in 2024.

The Cubs were never interested in getting Lynn into the mix of their rotation as they're looking for an ace, not a back-end type of guy so this isn't a huge blow to them.

But, the Cardinals were looking to add plenty of arms this offseason and have gotten their first in free agency as they look to bounce back from a horrendous season last year.