Washington Nationals Rumors: Free agent Lance Lynn is a strong fit

According to the latest Washington Nationals rumors, the defending NL East Champions could add a starting pitcher. Specifically, it’s Lance Lynn they could target.

On paper, the Washington Nationals have a pretty good rotation. Max Scherzer won the 2017 Cy Young Award and Stephen Strasburg finished third in the voting. Lefty Gio Gonzalez also received some consideration last year. Along with a rebound season from Tanner Roark, the Nationals are in a really good spot.

One place they could upgrade is at the fifth spot in the rotation. Joe Ross underwent Tommy John Surgery, leaving them with a vacant rotation spot. While they could fill this with a number of lesser options, the latest Washington Nationals rumors suggest something bigger.

In his latest piece, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports the Nationals are a suitor for free agent pitcher Lance Lynn. After six MLB seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, the 30-year-old righty looks ready to put on a new uniform. Will it have a cursive-W on it?

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Lynn has been very consistent since debuting in 2011. His .605 winning percentage is an understated statistic. Along with a 3.38 ERA and an average of 8.5 strikeouts per nine frames, Lynn is a very talented arm the Nationals could benefit from signing.

Not everything about Lynn is ideal. He gave up nearly twice as many home runs last year than he did in any previous season. This, coming off a year in which he missed the entire season due to Tommy John Surgery, could make teams second-guess a big contract.

However, aside from the home runs, Lynn pitched well. He went 11-8 with a 3.43 ERA for the Cardinals despite his walk numbers rising and strikeout totals dropping.

For what he can offer the Nationals, Lynn fits in well. In 2018, he rounds out one of the best rotations in baseball. Beyond this upcoming season, he keeps them looking great.

Gonzalez is a free agent after the 2018 season and someone the Nationals could lean either way on. By signing Lynn, they could essentially replace Gonzalez in advance and actually have them pitch together for a year. Signing Lynn doesn’t destroy the possibility of re-signing Gonzalez next winter either. If they are smart, the Nationals can find a way to keep them both.

Next: Nationals must live in the present

Over the past few seasons, the Washington Nationals have maintained a stellar starting staff. Even when it was Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister in the middle of it, the Nationals managed to win with their pitching. The addition of Lynn would keep with this tradition of leaving no holes with the starting staff.