Philadelphia Phillies Rumors: Team Linked To Lance Lynn, According To Report By Jon Morosi
Philadelphia Phillies rumors about Lance Lynn and Jake Arrieta have just been confirmed. This is a strong indication that the Phillies are pushing hard to land some additional starting pitching before the beginning of the 2018 MLB season. In a new report by MLB.com analyst Jon Morosi, it has been revealed that the Phillies had recent contact with Lynn. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that the Phillies are closing in on a deal, it does show that the team is still looking to improve.
Morosi also confirmed a previous report by Jon Heyman, who had stated that the Phillies are in constant contact with Jake Arrieta and his people. So what does it all mean? It likely means that the Phillies are interested in signing Lynn or Arrieta, but that the cost may still be too high. While the Phillies are looking to add key pieces to an improved roster, the franchise also isn’t in a position to truly compete for a National League East title just yet. Lynn or Arrieta could certainly get them much closer.
The stats that Lance Lynn put up last season might make the latest Philadelphia Phillies rumors very pleasing to fans. In 33 starts for the St. Louis Cardinals, Lynn posted a 3.43 ERA and 1.229 WHIP over 186 1/3 innings of work. In six years with the Cardinals, he appeared in 183 games (161 starts), notching a 3.38 ERA and 1.288 WHIP over that time.
Play ball! #BeBold https://t.co/ToE9n7CL5v pic.twitter.com/6lUAcugRg2
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 28, 2018
Lynn is coming out of a contract that paid him $21.5 million over the last three seasons with the Cardinals. He is looking for a big payday in free agency and the former first-round pick is likely to get it. While it would make the most sense for the Cardinals to try to retain him, the cost might be too great for the only team he has played for in Major League Baseball. It has opened the door for a number of teams in free agency, but nobody has walked through it just yet.
There are a lot of questions about the Phillies’ starting rotation. Aaron Nola is the ace of the staff, but after that, a lot has to be decided during Spring Training. Jerad Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez are the most likely candidates to join him, followed by a selection or two from Nick Pivetta, Zach Eflin, Jake Thompson, Ben Lively, and Mark Leiter. Signing someone like Lynn or Arrieta would address one of the glaring issues the team faces this year.
Lynn turned down a qualifying offer of $17.4 million from the St. Louis Cardinals. It indicates that he wants more than that or a long-term deal with a high combined dollar amount. Additionally, if the Phillies sign a player who turned down a qualifying offer, it would require the team to forfeit its second-highest remaining draft pick. That’s a steep price to pay, but if these Philadelphia Phillies rumors are true, then the front office might be ready to pay for putting more games in the win column this year.
