The Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox have reportedly struck a deal. The Rangers are sending right-handed starting pitcher Lance Lynn to the White Sox in exchange for right-handed pitcher Dane Dunning and another unnamed prospect. The White Sox likely did this in an attempt to round out their already good bullpen. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the deal as Major League Baseball continues to work through virtual Winter Meetings.
Right-hander Lance Lynn has been traded to the Chicago White Sox, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 8, 2020
The White Sox are acquiring a 33-year-old Lynn who is on the last year of a three-year, $30 million contract he originally signed with the Rangers before the 2019 season. Last season, Lynn made 13 starts where he managed a 6-3 record while posting a 3.32 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and punching out 89 hitters over 84 innings pitched.
He has also received Cy Young Award votes in each of the past two years, which says something about the underrated performances he has been putting together. Oddly enough, Lynn played his first year with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, that team was managed by none other than Tony La Russa, who is the new skipper of the White Sox after being hired earlier this offseason.
On the other hand, the Rangers are getting a 25-year old right-hander who finally cracked the big leagues this year in Dunning. He pitched in seven games during the 2020 season, all of them being starts, racking up 34 innings pitched. He would manage a 3.97 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and punch out 35 hitters while only walking 13. Dunning was packaged with another pitching prospect who will be headed back to the Rangers in the trade.
This move could trickle a snowball effect that gets the league loosened up to the point where the amount of player movement starts to increase during this very slow offseason.
