The St. Louis Cardinals saw their 2023 campaign derail and slowly deteriorate because of a lack of quality pitching.
An organization that used to pride itself on having some of the lowest ERAs in the majors in the last couple of decades finished 24th with a 4.79 mark in 2023.
Injuries, key players slumping, and prospects failing to develop were the primary factors behind the problem.
If the organization wants to compete in 2024, they need to dramatically improve their rotation and bullpen.
Every indication points toward the Cards trying to bring in reinforcements to contend next year.
As long as Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado remain under contract and productive, trying to compete makes sense from a purely theoretical standpoint.
As a result, the organization decided to bring in their first major addition of the season, and it’s an old friend.
“Right-hander Lance Lynn and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a one-year contract with a club option that guarantees around $10 million, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Lynn, 36, was drafted by Cardinals and returns, pending physical, as they rebuild rotation,” MLB insider Jeff Passan tweeted.
Right-hander Lance Lynn and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a one-year contract with a club option that guarantees around $10 million, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Lynn, 36, was drafted by Cardinals and returns, pending physical, as they rebuild rotation.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 20, 2023
As the insider says, Lynn was drafted and developed by the Cardinals.
He even won a World Series with the Cardinals in his first season with them, in 2011, and was part of their rotation until 2017.
From 2018 to 2023, Lynn pitched for the Minnesota Twins, the New York Yankees, the Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
At 36 years old, he is not the same dominant pitcher he once was: he has a career 3.74 ERA, but was at 5.73 in 2023.
However, he had a 4.36 ERA with the Dodgers and that’s what the Cards are aiming for here.
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