Report: Phillies Talking to Lance Lynn

The calendar has turned from February to March and even though Opening Day is just four weeks away, many free agent starting pitchers remain on the market.  The Phillies, long rumored to be interested in a veteran starter, are still looking for a veteran to slot into their starting rotation.  A new report links the Phillies to a new name for the first time.

J.P. Morosi of MLB.com reports that the Phillies have looked into free agent Lance Lynn:

The Phillies have previously been linked to Arrieta.

Lynn has long been seen as a consistent, reliable starting pitcher not at the top of a rotation but somewhere in the middle.  Lynn has made between 31 and 35 starts each of the last five seasons with an earned run average usually in the 3s, though he has come in as low as 2.74.  Lynn has won as many as 18 games and never had a losing record.

It is not clear what Lynn is looking for financially.  In recent seasons we saw Jeff Samardzija getting a five-year, $90 million contract and Johnny Cueto signing a six-year, $130 million contract. Lynn probably expected to come in somewhere between both players, but both signings probably appear to be a warning to teams more than they are a benchmark for a deal.

Lifetime Lynn is 72-47 with a 3.38 earned run average.