MLB Trade Deadline: 4 players who stayed put, but will move in offseason

Lance Lynn

Multiple teams were calling the Texas Rangers about starting pitcher Lance Lynn. The biggest surprise of trade deadline day was that Lynn wasn’t traded. He seemed like one of the most likely pieces to move, as teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays were all reportedly making calls on the right hander. Lynn is a player who’s moved at the trade deadline before, joining the New York Yankees for the stretch run in 2018.

This season, the Texas Rangers decided to keep him through the last year of his three-year deal. Or, that’s what this decision implies on paper. Will the Rangers get this kind of interest during the offseason? If Lynn continues to pitch like he has, there’s no doubt.

He has a 1.92 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over eight starts this season. Only Shane Bieber and Max Fried have a higher WAR among pitchers, and his ERA is also in the top five. Unless he falls off a cliff playing for a team that’s closer to the bottom than the playoffs, the Rangers are going to get a ton of calls on the Lynn front.

If this level of interest continues, someone is eventually going to hit a price the Rangers can live with. It’s very unlikely they can turn things around quickly. This just doesn’t feel like a contender, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to keep a 33-year-old for another season, especially when they can trade him after the best season of his career.