Cleveland Guardians Connected to Former All-Star Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians have been linked to this former All-Star pitcher in MLB free agency.
Jun 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn (31) throws to first base during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Jun 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn (31) throws to first base during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
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The Cleveland Guardians still have some work to do as far as their starting rotation is concerned, but most of the best names are off the market now in free agency.

The Guardians did re-sign Shane Bieber, and they did swing a trade for Luis Ortiz, but it's clear that it would behoove them to still add at least one other pitcher for some depth.

James Mastrucci of Away Back Gone has pitched an interesting suggestion for Cleveland: Lance Lynn.

"At this stage in his career, Lynn might not be the most exciting name to add to Cleveland's rotation, but this is about taking a step to possibly avoid what happened last year," Mastrucci wrote. "If the Guardians can squeeze the last ounce of productive pitching out of Lynn's arm in 2025, it would be considered a huge success and could hopefully be a stabilizing arm in the back end of their rotation."

Lynn spent the 2024 campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals and was actually very effective, going 7-4 with a 3.84 ERA while allowing 113 hits and registering 109 strikeouts over 117.1 innings of work.

The 38-year-old entered the bigs with the Cardinals in 2011 and has pitched for six teams in total, logging a very respectable lifetime 3.74 ERA.

Lynn has a couple of All-Star selections under his belt, last making a trip to the midsummer classic in 2021 when he went 11-6 with a 2.69 ERA as a member of the Chicago White Sox. He even finished third in AL Cy Young award voting that year.

The wily veteran may not be the flashiest option, but he is dependable and would at least bring some stability to the Guardians' shaky rotation.


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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.