Sullivan: Rangers to sign RHP Lance Lynn

Texas Rangers news: T.R. Sullivan has just tweeted out that the Texas Rangers are closing in on a three year deal to sign right-handed starter Lance Lynn.

The Rangers, of course, are in desperate need for someone, anyone, to give them innings in 2019 and to get Lynn to come do that, it’s going to cost them $10 million per year for three years.

Lynn will join Mike Minor as sure bets for the rotation with Edinson Volquez and Drew Smyly currently penciled in as other starters if they can make successful returns from Tommy John surgery.

Lynn famously inked to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins last season right around the middle of Spring Training as a member of a free agency class that couldn’t seem to land the long term jobs they were looking for. The Rangers have taken care of that early for him this year.

After just a few months in Minnesota, Lynn ended up joining the Yankees right before the trade deadline last July to help shore up their rotation as they made their run to the postseason.

Lynn, of course, made his name as a member of the hated St. Louis Cardinals. From 2012 through 2015, Lynn was worth an average of 3.25 wins per season, peaking in 2013 with a 3.7 fWAR.

Injuries began to take their toll on Lynn late in 2015 and he went through TJS himself which caused him to miss the 2016 season. In his first year back, in 2017, Lynn had his worst full season of his career in his final season with St. Louis.

Lynn bounced back somewhat in 2018 with a more Lance Lynn-y type of year despite a career high 4.77 ERA and an inflated BB/9 rate of 4.37. Lynn was worth 2.9 fWAR over his 156.2 IP with Minnesota and New York and his K/9 rate of 9.25 was a career high.

Obviously the Rangers feel like he’s through his issues and ready to soak up innings in their depleted rotation in 2019 and beyond.