St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Lance Lynn staying in the Arch City?

St. Louis Cardinals rumors: The Cards have extended a qualifying offer to starting pitcher Lance Lynn, but what does this mean for long-term negotiations?

St. Louis Cardinals rumors have been flying that hurler Lance Lynn is in pursuit of a multiyear deal, one the team apparently is not interested in offering the career-long Cardinal. However, he was given a qualifying offer, which we have full details of the proposal, thanks to St. Louis Cardinals expert Jenifer Langosch at MLB.com.

• If a qualifying offer is accepted, it is binding for both parties. If a player declines and signs elsewhere, his original team receives compensation based on contract value and/or market size.
• As a club that does not receive revenue sharing and did not exceed the luxury-tax salary threshold last season, the Cardinals would pick up a compensatory Draft selection after Competitive Balance Round B should Lynn sign elsewhere. The value of his new contract would not be a factor in determining the slot of that pick.

So, this offer may be a formality to get a compensation pick. If so, that’s a wise move for the Cardinals, if he accepts, even better.

Michael Girsch, the “new” GM for the Cardinals, spoke briefly about the offer they extended out to Lance Lynn.

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Lynn is coming off of Tommy John surgery, which shelved him for the entire 2016 season. In 2017, he started a team-high 33 games, boasting an 11-8 record and a solid 3.43 ERA. He served up an average of 1.3 long bombs per nine innings, easily a career high.

Giving up a plethora of home runs coming off of significant arm surgery is universal, so aspiring MLB teams should be worried about that “problem” in the future. Somehow, Lynn has flown under the radar, with these most impressive statistics.

• 2011: Record: 1-1 ERA: 3.12 SO:40 BB: 11 IP WHIP: 1.03
• 2012: Record: 18-7 ERA: 3.78 SO: 180 BB: 64 IP: 34.2 WHIP: 1.31
• 2013: Record: 15-10 ERA: 3.97  SO:198 BB: 76 IP: 201.2 WHIP: 1.31
• 2014: Record: 15-10 ERA:2.74  SO: 181 BB: 72 IP: 203.2 WHIP: 1.26
• 2015: Record: 12-11 ERA:3.03  SO: 67 BB: 68 IP: 175.1 WHIP: 1.36
• 2017: Record: 11-8 ERA:3.43  SO: 152 BB: 78 IP: 186.1 WHIP: 1.22

How Lynn manages to not get enough respect, especially from critical St. Louis “fans”, is beyond me.

Next: MLB Free Agency 2017-18: Biggest Holes for Every Team

Lance Lynn wants to stay in St. Louis, which he’s expressed on multiple occasions. However, it seems, the St. Louis Cardinals rumors hint they are not as interested, talking the relaxed method of “if he walks, he walks.” If I were a betting man, I would predict that Lynn will be donning a different uniform in 2017 and beyond.

Personally, I think it’s a considerable mistake to let Lynn walk, where consistent starting pitching is at a premium. It is possible that Lynn may face off against the Cardinals in key games in the future, which will not bode will for their postseason aspirations. Pay that man his money! Make these St. Louis Cardinals rumors a reality.