Beloved Ex-Cardinals Hurler Linked To Short-Term Deal With Orioles, Per Insider

The former St. Louis veteran isn't ready to retire yet

Oct 27, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn reacts during game four of the MLB baseball World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-Imagn Images / Scott Rovak-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals retooled the pitching staff last offseason after a tumultuous 91-loss campaign in 2023 but they'll likely have to return to the drawing boards again this winter.

All three starting pitchers acquired last offseason could play for other teams in 2025, with ace Sonny Gray being a potentially significant trade candidate for the Cardinals.

Despite reuniting with a fan favorite last winter, St. Louis has declined his club option for next season, opening the door for the beloved veteran to join the Baltimore Orioles.

"(Lance) Lynn has had injury issues in two of the last three seasons, including with a wobbly right knee that ultimately ended his 2024 campaign early," Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer wrote Friday when predicting where free agent starting pitchers could land this winter. "Between that and his age, his workload potential doesn't go as high as it used to. He's rarely not steady when he's on the mound, however, and even declining velocity isn't killing his four-seam fastball. It had a plus-16 run value this year even as it sat at 92.3 mph. Signs with Baltimore Orioles for one-year, $8 million."

Lynn might have recorded his final season in a Cardinals uniform this season but he made it a memorable one -- logging his 2,000th strikeout and inning pitched.

The 37-year-old has posted a 143-99 record with a 3.74 ERA, 2015-to-704 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .243 batting average against and a 1.28 WHIP throughout his 13-year career between his time playing for the Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Some thought Lynn might retire this winter but it doesn't appear he's ready to hang up his cleats yet. The 2011 World Series champion could significantly influence the championship-hungry and veteran-depleted Orioles roster in 2025.

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