Adding starting pitching depth is near the top of Rick Hahn’s offseason to-do list. There are already a number of premium arms available for the White Sox to add and now Lance Lynn’s name can be thrown into the mix.

According to Jon Heyman the Texas Rangers are shopping their ace as he heads into the final year of his contract.

This would be a great, affordable arm for the White Sox to acquire.

Lance Lynn is available in trade again. One of the most dependable and excellent starters in AL last couple years, he’ll make a bargain $8M in 2021 and is a free agent after that.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 30, 2020

A Proven Track Record

By adding Lance Lynn the White Sox would be adding a former All-Star, who finished top six in the Cy-Young Award voting in previous two seasons.

Last season the righty went 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and struck out 89 batters. He also showcased his durability, leading the league in innings pitched.

Lynn is a proven winner. He has posted an career ERA of 3.57 and racked up over one hundred victories over the course of nine seasons. He also has a World Series ring and has logged 54.1 postseason innings.

A Perfect Fit

The White Sox have money to spend and a team that is ready to compete. After the pitching meltdown last postseason it is obvious the White Sox need another reliable starting pitcher to become legitimate contenders. The White Sox will be hard pressed to find a cheaper ace this offseason. Lynn will only make $8 million dollars in 2021 making him bargain for the White Sox. Trevor Bauer, who is the best pitcher available and is on the White Sox radar, already turned down a $18.9 million dollar offer from the Reds. Bauer will likely only sign a one year deal so the White Sox would be getting the same amount of years for at least $10 million dollars less.

Trading for Lynn would allow the White Sox the flexibility to fill some other holes on the roster. With stars such as George Springer and Nelson Cruz still available the White Sox will need every dollar at their disposal to lure one of them to the Southside. Lynn would also serve as another veteran with postseason experience in the locker room, something that Rick Hahn has valued in the past.

Getting traded to the White Sox would also be an ideal situation for Lance Lynn. Heading into a contract year the White Sox would be the perfect environment for Lynn to succeed. He would be surrounded by Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel as well as some young promising arms on the back end of the rotation. That will take immense pressure off of Lynn and allow him to play for a contending team. His addition would also put the White Sox in the running for the best rotation in the baseball. All of these things would only help increase Lynn’s stock.

How They Can Acquire Him

The Rangers are nowhere close to contending for a division championship in 2021. This and the fact that Lynn is due for a massive contract next off season gives the Rangers plenty of incentive to deal him.

The White Sox still have a pretty stocked farm system. Some potential names that could be intrigue the Rangers. Some names to keep an eye on are Micker Adolfo, Luis Gonzalez, Jonathan Stiever or Tyler Johnson just to name a few.

What is standing in their way will be lost of other competition. After a pandemic devastated the league financially, a low priced ace will be a valuable asset this offseason. Some other team in the running could include the Yankees or Dodgers. The White Sox will have to put together a better trade package than them if they hope to acquire Lynn’s services. However Rick Hahn might be hesitant to deal some of his young prospects when he has some internal options to fill the rotations needs. Adding Lynn would also take away a spot from someone like, Micheal Kopech, Dane Dunning or Jimmy Lambert, all of whom the White Sox think very highly of.

As the virtual Winter Meetings approach this will be a development to keep your eyes on.