Because of their recent string of injuries, the New York Yankees are an obvious choice to make a late Spring Training addition to their starting rotation. But instead, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer sees the Chicago Cubs as the club that signs a starting pitcher just before Opening Day.
On March 12, Rymer predicted the Cubs to target former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star starter Lance Lynn.
Rymer linked the Cubs to Lynn because of a report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney that Chicago is interested in Lynn.
“The Cubs are keeping [Kyle] Gibson and [Lance] Lynn on their radar in case issues arise after the team’s early ramp-up for spring training and long trip to Japan, sources say,” wrote Rosenthal and Mooney.
Set to turn 38 years old in May, Lynn last made an MLB All-Star team in 2021 with the Chicago White Sox. Lynn also earned an All-Star nomination with the Cardinals in 2012.
Last season, Lynn posted a 7-4 record with a 3.84 ERA in his first season back in St. Louis since 2017. The right-hander also had a 1.338 WHIP and 109 strikeouts in 117.1 innings.
Cubs Rotation Depth to Begin 2025 MLB Season
According to Rosenthal and Mooney, a “sudden flurry” of starting pitcher injuries could give veteran pitchers such as Lynn more leverage in contract negotiations. But interestingly, the Cubs are not currently one of the National League contenders dealing with starting pitcher ailments.
That would be the New York Mets, who will begin the season without Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea in the rotation. In the American League, the Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners have suffered significant starting rotation injuries over the last week.
But Rosenthal and Mooney reported the Cubs are still “seeking potential rotation help.” The insiders described that the search “might intensify” if the team’s rotation doesn’t perform well in the team’s opening series.
The Cubs will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo on March 18 and 19.
Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele are projected to start those two games versus the Dodgers.
When the regular season resumes for the Cubs back in the United States, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon will join Imanaga and Steel in the rotation.
Colin Rea will likely serve as Chicago’s fifth starter to begin the season. Javier Assad is another candidate to start, but he is expected to begin the campaign on the injured list.
Cubs Targeting SP Lance Lynn?
With those five starters, there doesn’t appear to be room for Lynn. But if the veteran isn’t receiving offers from other teams, then perhaps he will consider the Cubs should the team pursue him.
Chicago could see Lynn as a potential spot starter or long reliever. At 38 years old, Lynn isn’t still an All-Star candidate, but he’s a reliable veteran a contender should feel comfortable turning to if injuries arise.
Lynn dealt with home run problems during the 2023 campaign with the White Sox and Dodgers. As a result, he posted a 5.73 ERA in 2023.
But he bounce back to only allow a 1.2 home run per nine inning rate during 2024.
Over 13 MLB seasons, Lynn has pitched for Cardinals, White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.
In 217 appearances, Lynn has posted a 143-99 record with a 3.74 ERA. The right-hander has made 340 career starts.
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