The Texas Rangers have traded right-hander Lance Lynn to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for fellow righty Dane Dunning and a prospect, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports the prospect is left-hander Avery Weems, the White Sox’s 2019 sixth-round pick out of the University of Arizona. While Lynn was first on the trade block this summer, he and his agent informed the Rangers that he would opt out of the season if he was sent to a team he did not want to join, Rosenthal reported.
Lynn, 33, was arguably the top starting pitcher on the trade market. Before he signed in Texas two years ago, the Blue Jays showed some interest in him as a free agent, and given their interest in the pitching market it wouldn’t be a surprise if they did so again this winter. Ultimately, the offer of Dunning and Weems got the Rangers’ attention, and other teams in need of pitching will be forced to look elsewhere.
The 2012 all-star and Rangers ace went 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA and 89 strikeouts across 84 innings in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The year prior in Texas, the six-foot-five, 250-pound hurler had a 16-11 record with 3.67 ERA and 246Ks in 208.1 innings.
The White Sox’s rotation now features Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Dylan Cease and Lynn, with top pitching prospect Michael Kopech, who missed the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and sat out 2020, back throwing.
Dunning, a former Toronto Blue Jays draft pick, went 2-0 with a 3.97 ERA across seven starts in his debut season with the White Sox in 2020.
