Dodgers Decline Ex-Cardinals Fan Favorite's Club Option With Free Agency Looming

The homegrown St. Louis star is headed to the open market

The St. Louis Cardinals will have plenty of former players to potentially re-engage with as free agency is set to begin Tuesday.

With player and club options being declined left and right, even more old friends have entered the mix, including one of the most beloved Cardinals in recent memory.

"The (Los Angeles) Dodgers have declined right-hander Lance Lynn’s $18 million club option for 2024," The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya reported Friday. "He will receive a $1 million buyout. A reunion is still possible between the two sides. Dodgers (are) expected to be in the pitching market this winter."

Lynn certainly did not pitch up to the standards of an $18 million salary in 2023. The 36-year-old posted a 5.73 ERA with a 191-to-67 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .259 batting average against and 1.39 WHIP in 183 2/3 innings between his time with the Chicago White Sox and Dodgers last season.

The right-hander's 44 home runs allowed were not only the most in Major League Baseball but the sixth-most-ever recorded in a single season -- tied with Seattle Mariners' Jamie Moyer in 2004.

Lynn would still qualify as an innings eater and can still record his fair share of strikeouts but is not close to a frontline pitcher at this juncture.

Not that many would clamor for it but it's safe to put Lynn far down the Cardinals' wish list as they attempt to add at least three impact starters this winter.

More MLB: Cardinals Reliever Elects Free Agency After Strong Season In St. Louis' Bullpen