The Minnesota Twins are still on the lookout for starting pitching, but only if it fits their budget. That’s good news for Twins fans because a bullet has been dodged.
The Minnesota Twins have reportedly made a two-year $20 million contract offer to free agent pitcher Lance Lynn. Thankfully, Lynn has decided to wait for a better offer.
Sources: #mntwins continue to look for starting pitching upgrades, recently offered RHP Lance Lynn a 2-year, $20 million deal that went nowhere. https://t.co/oMlL8WHku9
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) March 6, 2018
A $10 million contract for a pitcher with the history that Lynn has could easily be considered a bargain. However, Minnesota already has enough pitchers with similar upside on the roster.
Why the Twins should sign Lynn
Minnesota has high aspirations for this season and Lynn could help them achieve their goals. Ervin Santana will miss the start of the season leaving multiple holes to fill in the rotation. Minnesota has some internal options to fill those holes, but it makes sense for the team to kick the tires on Lynn.
Lynn has a very good 3.38 career ERA to go along with a respectable 8.5 K/9 in 76 starts. However, he missed the entire 2016 season while recovering from Tommy John and is on the wrong side of 30 years old.
A healthy Lynn would help this rotation a lot and transform it from a weakness to a strength. However, counting on a pitcher who has had Tommy John surgery is always a risky proposition. Lynn had a solid bounce back season in 2017 but the Minnesota Twins were smart not to go overboard on the contract proposal.
Why the Twins should be glad Lynn didn’t sign
Lynn has been an effective starting pitcher throughout his entire career. However, he has 977 2/3 innings pitched in his career and you have to wonder how much more his surgically repaired elbow can endure.
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The Twins have two very good pitching prospects on the cusp of big league action and signing Lynn will stunt their growth. Fernando Romero, and to a lesser extent, Stephen Gonsalves could prove to be game changers for Minnesota in the future. One or both of these pitchers figure to play a role in the rotation in 2018.
Signing Lynn would also help get Twins fans even more excited for the coming season. However, bringing in Lynn could also be taken as a sign that the organization doesn’t believe in the young arms already on the staff.
Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi will be enough at the top of the rotation until Santana returns. Signing Lynn wouldn’t make the Twins a World Series contender any more today than they were yesterday.
Minnesota needs pitching yes, but they shouldn’t overpay to acquire it. There are better options than Lynn still available and if Minnesota is serious about adding pitching they should look elsewhere. Thank you Lance Lynn for not signing that contract, and good luck to you this season, the Minnesota Twins will be just fine without you.
Next: Who will be in the Twins starting rotation?
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