Report: Blue Jays Are On Lance Lynn's No-Trade List
White Sox starter Lance Lynn has the Blue Jays on his current no-trade list.
The Chicago veteran is a pending free agent and a likely trade candidate for the upcoming MLB trade deadline. The Jays may see Lynn as a solution to their search for rotation depth, but the White Sox can block a trade to Toronto, Ken Rosenthal reports.
Lynn's had a tumultuous season in 2023. The 36-year-old is on pace for a career-high in strikeouts. But he also leads baseball in earned runs and homers allowed, rocking a 6.18 ERA in 20 starts.
Despite the shaky performance, Lynn is one of several high-level players the White Sox are expected to move at the 2023 trade deadline. Beyond the Jays, Lynn's 10-team no-trade list also includes contenders like the Dodgers, Yankees, and Rays, among other teams.
With Lynn having some of baseball's better teams and bigger markets on the no-trade list, it's possible the righty is simply weaponizing his trade blocking to steer any potential trade in a desirable direction. There's little use putting a selling team on his list that wouldn't be trading for a rental anyway.
Per Rosenthal, Lynn would "waive his protection for certain contenders."
While the Jays have Alek Manoah back in the big leagues and Hyun Jin Ryu soon to join the MLB team, rotation depth is still a priority for the team heading into the deadline. The Blue Jays could target a full-time starter like Lynn, potentially pushing Yusei Kikuchi to the bullpen, or target a swingman or long reliever to act as a layer of depth.
