Dodgers Rumors: Insider Thinks LA Could Exercise Lance Lynn’s Club Option This Offseason
Poor starting pitching derailed another Dodgers postseason as the team failed to win a single game before elimination this season.
Part of that issue came thanks to Lance Lynn who took the ball in the decisive Game 3 against Arizona in the NLDS.
Lynn struggled with the home run ball all regular season and his lone playoff start ended with four solo shots in the third inning alone.
The trade acquisition piece didn’t end the year how he wanted to but J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group told our very own Doug McKain on the Dodgers Dougout daily show that he believes the veteran could still be back with the team for 2024 on his club option.
“If you just want innings eaters, a guy like Lance Lynn is out there. And that might not be the worst move if you’re the Dodgers and you just need somebody who can take down innings on a reliable basis. I didn’t like his home run rate either but that’s the reality we’re living in where, like you said, six inning starters just don’t grow on trees.”
Via Dodgers Dougout on YouTube
The former Cy Young contender didn’t have his best stuff with the White Sox to start 2023 but Andrew Friedman looked at the underlying numbers to bring Lynn to LA via trade.
After Eduardo Rodriguez nixed LA at the deadline, Lynn became the only starter the organization brought in for their postseason rotation.
Home runs continued to be an issue for the 36-year-old but his grit and toughness gutted through several innings to close the regular season.
LA needed those innings after several parts of their Opening Day rotation fell to injury or off field issues throughout the season.
By season’s end, Lynn was one of just three fully healthy starters in LA’s rotation joining Bobby Miller and Ryan Pepiot as the team’s best options down the stretch.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers that issue reared its ugly head at the most vital parts of the season all culminating in Lynn’s disaster of a season finale.
Underlying numbers may help Lynn’s case out and a full 2024 season in the pitching lab with Mark Prior may be just what he needs to have a better overall season in Dodger blue.
He has an $18 million club option for the 2024 season.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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Lance Lynn throws too many pitches middle-middle, causing the high home run totals. That is not going to change. 2024 depth chart: (1) Buehler (2) Miller (3) Pepiot (4) free agent or trade acquisition to be determined [Yamamoto/Snell] (5) free agent or trade acquisition to be determined {Burnes/Glasnow (6) Kershaw (?) (7) Yarbrough (8) Sheehan (9) Stone (10) Dustin May after ASG (11) Grove (12) next best starter at OKC/AFL [Landon Knack/Frasso/Hurt/other]. 2025 add Ohtani, Gonsolin, full-season Dustin May, more innings from Sheehan, Stone, Grove or best starter from OKC. The key for 2024 is getting two outstanding starters from outside the organization — Yamamoto, Snell, Burnes, or Glasnow, Sign one free agent, trade for Burnes or Glasnow.
No
NO on Lance, I would rather see a minor leaguer eat up innings and gain experience. Let’s stop the pitching experiments, and get front line starters with proven POST season experience!
And what minor leaguer do they have that can eat up innings? Stone… NO, Grove, maybe, who else? Pepiot will be with the team and they don’t have any other minor leaguers ready for the majors unless you are willing to accept losses for OJT…
Can the Dodgers really be that stupid,keeping Dave and Lance?
Good grief. There ought to be better choices out there for $18M. If not, let the kids pitch.
Read carefully. This was JP Hoornstra’s idea, and it’s a bad one! Now he gets tabled along eith Jim Bowden.