A former St. Louis Cardinals fan favorite still searching for his next landing spot could be used as a logical bullpen addition for the American League East-rival Boston Red Sox.
Although the Red Sox added flamethrower Aroldis Chapman earlier this offseason, they lost former closing pitcher Kenley Jansen to the Los Angeles Angels during free agency and could use a boost to replace the four-time All-Star in the back of their bullpen.
To help mitigate the effects of losing Jansen, the Red Sox should consider signing a former Cardinals hurler, who surprisingly hasn’t yet found his next big-league contract.
Former Cardinals right-handed pitcher Lance Lynn remains available as a free-agent starting pitcher but has also been shopped as a potential closing pitcher throughout this year’s offseason. The 37-year-old has expressed mutual interest in signing with a team as a reliever.
Lynn 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.
After rejoining the Cardinals last offseason, Lynn proved himself a reliable back-end-of-the-rotation starter but due to St. Louis’ recent rebuilding efforts, the aging veteran no longer fit in the club’s game plan, resulting in his $12 million 2025 club option being declined.
The 37-year-old is a ferocious and intense leader who could serve the Red Sox’s bullpen well. Considering Lynn hasn’t yet landed a contract, Boston should be able to acquire him for a relatively inexpensive price.
The Chicago Cubs recently expressed interest in signing Lynn but it seems they’ve lost interest in the two-time All-Star, with talks of them being close to signing an imminent deal nowhere to be found.
The Red Sox bullpen ranked 24th with a 4.39 ERA in 2024. If they hope to see an improvement from their relief core this year, adding 13-year veteran Lynn wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
