Veteran pitcher Lance Lynn announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on his podcast, Dymin in the Rough. He concluded his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he had a respectable 3.84 ERA in his final season. Drafted in 2008, Lynn made a significant impact, contributing to the Cardinals’ World Series win and earning All-Star honors in 2012 and 2021. Over his career, he pitched over 2,000 innings with a 3.74 ERA and secured 143 wins. Despite interest from other teams, Lynn opted to retire, expressing satisfaction with his career’s conclusion.
The seasoned pitcher Lance Lynn announced his retirement earlier today during his podcast, Dymin in the Rough, co-hosted with his wife. He stated, “I am officially retiring from baseball right here, right now… from Major League Baseball, I am done pitching.”
Lynn concluded his career with the Cardinals, where he recorded a 3.84 ERA and a 4.40 SIERA over 117 1/3 innings, helping the team achieve a 15-8 record in his starts. It was a fitting farewell for Lynn, as he returned to the franchise that drafted him in the first round of the 2008 draft and where he spent the first ten years of his career. After making his major league debut just shy of three years post-selection, he quickly established himself as a vital asset in the Cardinals’ bullpen, contributing to their World Series title.
In 2023, there were concerns about Lynn’s performance, as he recorded a high 5.73 ERA split between the White Sox and Dodgers, marking only the second time in his career that his ERA exceeded 4.00. Despite that, he made 32 starts, and his solid 4.33 SIERA was a promising indicator. The Cardinals showed confidence in him by signing him to a one-year deal with an $11MM guarantee and a club option for 2025. Although he was limited to 23 starts due to right knee inflammation, he performed adequately in those outings, providing the team with opportunities to secure wins, aside from one challenging game in July (2 2/3 IP, 11 R). However, the Cardinals opted to decline his $12MM team option for 2025.
Throughout the offseason, Lynn attracted some interest from potential teams, including the Cubs. However, he mentioned, “The money didn’t work out.” He expressed a lack of interest in the idea of signing with a team during the mid-season, indicating that extending his career wasn’t his primary focus. Furthermore, he might have been able to extend his career by transitioning to a relief role — a possibility he seemed somewhat open to when discussing it with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic in January. Nevertheless, his remarks indicate he is quite content with how his career ultimately concluded.