Rumored Pirates free agent target reportedly nearing deal with NL Central rival

Prior to adding Andrew Heaney to the rotation, the Pirates were linked to veteran right-hander Lance Lynn about filling in as a bullpen option or a rotation wild card arm. It made sense, given he was seeking a one-year deal and he can eat up a lot of innings, but nothing transpired out of that rumor.

Now, fans can likely cross him off the list of the last remaining free agents, as Lynn is talking about a deal with the Chicago Cubs for one year, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Lynn would have brought a veteran presence to a very young rotation and might have performed well under the Pirates' pitching coach regime. Oscar Marin has done very well with suspect arms on one-year deals during his time in Pittsburgh. Lynn, armed with a better heater than most of those options, has been shaky over the last few years, so he would have been looking to turn things around in a little bit more of a lower pressure environment in Pittsburgh.

Instead, he seems to be prepared to join a better team with the Cubs.

Lance Lynn talking Cubs contract after being a rumored target for the Pirates earlier this offseason.

Lynn has been familiar to the Pirates over the years, as he was a part of the Cardinals' rotation in the early 2010s and returned in 2024. He has had some very solid years over his career, but the end is nearing for him, even after a semi-solid season.

In 2024, Lynn posted an ERA of 3.84 across 117.1 innings pitched and struck out 109 batters. His WHIP reached 1.34, coming from an opposing batting average of .244 and a walk clip of 8.6%. Some of that looks solid, but his xERA reached 4.94, which means he got very lucky.

Overall, the fit definitely made sense between the two sides, but now the Pirates will hope he continues to regress in Chicago if the Cubs seal the deal. If his xERA comes to life and he repeats a similar 2023 campaign, that could help the Pirates compete better in the NL Central. Time will tell with how he will do with the shortened spring training, which could lead to a similar season as the one ex-Cardinal Jordan Montgomery scuffled through last year.