Texas Rangers Reportedly Receiving Trade Interest on Lance Lynn

With the MLB Trade Deadline just a couple of weeks away, the Texas Rangers are reportedly garnering trade interest on their ace, Lance Lynn.

It’s mid-August which usually means we would be a couple of weeks past the MLB Trade Deadline. However in the world that is 2020, the deadline is actually still a couple of weeks away and with clubs looking for ways to upgrade their teams now or for the future, the Texas Rangers are right in the trade mix. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic ($), the Texas Rangers are fielding some trade interest on their ace, Lance Lynn. In Rosenthal’s story, he goes on to give a lot of good insight on how this year’s trade deadline will compare to what we’ve become accustomed to in year’s past.

Lynn garnering trade interest is no surprise. He’s arguably the top starter that would conceivably be available alongside the possibility of Trevor Bauer. Lynn is doubling down on what was a stellar 2019 campaign in which he finished fifth in Cy Young voting. In 2020 he has seemingly improved boasting a 3-0 record in five starts all of which he has been fairly dominant. He’s allowed just four earned runs in 32.1 innings of work. His 1.11 ERA is stunning alongside his 10.02 strikeouts per nine innings rate, 0.74 WHIP and .110 batting average against.

If you let your mind wander, it could be tantalizing to think of the prospect haul Texas could get for Lynn who brings added value as a starter under contract for 2021 at just $8 million. But for those same factors that make him so attractive to potential suitors, he is also an attractive option for the Rangers. Texas, who currently sits at 11-10 and a half game up on Houston for the second spot in the AL West, is not really in a place to be considered a true seller anyways. And with a playoff spot not an unreasonable desire this season, Lynn brings as much value to Texas as he would anybody else.

The Rangers have also made it clear that they intend to compete now rather than later. While the on field product doesn’t always echo that sentiment, it seems unlikely that the Rangers are looking to hit the reset button again come 2021. Lynn, along with the rest of their pitching staff, are the main reason Texas is in the position that they are. With Corey Kluber already out for the majority of the remainder of the season, letting Lynn go would cement the perception that Texas is still a long way from contending.

Expect these rumors and reports to heat up over the next week or so. I would expect teams who are a starter away from being legitimate contenders to come at the Rangers hard in pursuit of Lynn. But with all the factors to consider as reasons not to move Lynn, any offer to entice Texas to move him would have to be too good to pass up. With the circumstances facing the league and sports world right now, it seems uncertain whether that offer would ever come in.