UPDATE (July 28, 11:45 a.m. PT): The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. Nick Nastrini, Jordan Leasure and Trayce Thompson were traded to the White Sox in the deal.
As the August 1 MLB trade deadline approaches, the Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to be aggressive working to upgrade their roster with pitching at the forefront of their focus.
The Dodgers already acquired Kiké Hernández and Amed Rosario to provide two more right-handed bats to their roster, and they reportedly remain in contact with the St. Louis Cardinals over a potential Nolan Arenado trade.
But with pitching now their primary focus, one team that has come up often as a potential trade partner are the Chicago White Sox. The Dodgers have expressed interest in Lance Lynn and a potential reunion with Joe Kelly, and the White Sox have already began to sell, sending Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to the Los Angeles Angels.
While there have been discussions with the White Sox regarding Lynn, one potential hurdle is his limited no-trade clause, which includes the Dodgers as a team he can block a deal to. But according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Lynn would waive his no-trade clause in order to join the Dodgers:
Lynn has the Dodgers on the no-trade list, but a league source said Lynn would likely waive it if a deal is agreed upon.
Some players use their no-trade clause as leverage to get the acquiring team to guarantee them something else in the deal, but with his struggles this season Lynn does not have a ton of power, and the opportunity for the 36-year-old to win a World Series seems reason enough.
Lynn has pitched to a 6-9 record, 6.18 ERA, 5.28 FIP and 1.44 WHIP in 115 innings this season while allowing an MLB-worst 79 earned runs and 28 home runs in 20 starts.
However, he is striking out 10.9 batters per nine innings and some of his struggles have stemmed from the White Sox’s shoddy defense, which ranks in the bottom five in numerous metrics.
Lynn is owed roughly $6.7 million in salary for the remainder of the 2023 season. His contract contains an $18 million team option for 2024, though the club that acquires him can decline it in favor of a $1 million buyout.
Teams on Lance Lynn’s no-trade list
According to multiple reports, the teams along with the Dodgers on Lynn’s no-trade list include the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays.
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