Beloved Ex-Cardinals Starter Reportedly Could Transition To Closing Pitcher Role

The former St. Louis hurler might have different responsibilities in 2025

Jun 13, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn (31) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are having an uneventful offseason but fortunately, they have plenty of options and time left to make several moves.

The market still has multiple former Cardinals players, such as starting pitchers Jack Flaherty and Kyle Gibson. However, the former almost certainly won't be re-signed, while the latter's future is a toss-up.

Another former St. Louis starter looking for a place to sign this offseason has been asked by several clubs if he'll consider moving to the bullpen in what would be an unexpected turn of events.

"Lance Lynn, closer?" The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote Thursday. "Evidently, some teams like the idea. Lynn, 37, has not pitched out of the bullpen since 2018. But his agent, Kevin Lustig, recently informed him that several clubs asked if he would be interested in pitching the ninth inning."

Lynn, a 2011 Cardinals World Series champion roster member, returned to St. Louis last offseason on a one-year deal with a 2025 club option, which was declined. The franchise's youth movement sadly pushed the fan favorite away, making him a free agent.

“He said, ‘I got a couple of weird calls today,’" as transcribed by Rosenthal. "'I was like, ‘What? Did someone ask me for a minor-league deal?’” said Lynn, who remains a free agent. "'He started dying laughing. He was like, ‘No, they asked what you thought about being a back-end guy, a closer.’"

After losing All-Star reliever Andrew Kittredge to the Baltimore Orioles in the free-agent market this winter, perhaps Lynn could re-sign with the Cardinals to add depth to the bullpen. Plus, if need be, he could be relied on as a veteran starter with 2015 career strikeouts.

It's doubtful the Cardinals would be interested in experimenting with an aging starter as a closer, considering their focus is on the youth. However, Lynn always has a place to call home in St. Louis.

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