Cubs reportedly nearing nightmare deal with washed up former rival (Update: deal not imminent)

Jordan Campbell

Pittsburgh Pirates v St. Louis Cardinals / Dilip Vishwanat/GettyImages

The Chicago Cubs may be in Japan but Jed Hoyer is seemingly still making additions to the Major League roster.

Prior to the Cubs' arrival in Japan, there were reports that the team was still interested in adding a veteran starting pitcher. The two pitchers the Cubs were reportedly evaluating were former St. Louis Cardinals pitchers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.

The Cubs seem to have decided on Lynn. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Cubs and Lynn have entered negotiations on a one-year deal.

Cubs make a surprising turn to former rival to fill pitching need

The wording of Nightengale's report isn't entirely clear but the impression is Lynn will soon be joining the Major League pitching staff. After struggles with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, Lynn saw a relative bounce-back with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024. Lynn posted a 3.84 ERA in 23 starts. Still, it would seem like a desperate move for the Cubs to turn to Lynn considering his underlying metrics suggest he was closer to a 5-ERA pitcher last season.

When the Cubs' interest in Lynn was first reported, it was believed that the Cubs were looking for a 45-day opt-out clause. A clause that would give each side an escape in the event that Lynn struggled or was not ready for a promotion to the Major League level.

If Lynn's contract with the Cubs is a standard one-year deal, then it does add a level of curiosity to what the team may have learned about Javier Assad's injury. Assad suffered an oblique injury at the start of spring training and has yet to begin a throwing program. Assad beginning the season on the IL was a foregone conclusion but the Cubs' urgency to bring Lynn in suggests they may be without the 27-year-old starting pitcher for a considerable amount of time.

Even then, the Cubs prided themselves on the pitching depth they've added to the organization this offseason to withstand early-season injuries. The Lynn reported signing feels like there is another shoe to drop that the Cubs haven't revealed yet.

Update 2:45pm - Cubs, Lance Lynn not believed to have an imminent agreement

Our friends at North Side Baseball have chimed in on the uptick in Lance Lynn rumors for the Cubs, saying that a deal between the two sides is not believed to be imminent at this time. They include that if the two sides were to reach a deal, Lynn would open the season with Triple-A Iowa.

We're just going to call a spade a spade in this case. It seems that Nightengale may have been overzealous in his reporting. No, he did not specifically mention that a deal was close, but the impression from his phrasing was there.

Jordan Campbell

For nearly 15 years, Jordan has been a workhorse across the FanSided network - including being the inaugural site expert for Cubbies Crib, as well as a stop at Da Windy City as the site expert. In addition to returning to be a Co-Site Expert at Cubbies Crib, Jordan was previously the Site Expert at Bear Goggles On. In the years since, Jordan has joined FanSided's full-time team, serving as a staff writer for the MLB division. Jordan's work can be seen across the MLB division, including a consistent presence on our Cubs, Twins, Astros, and Tigers sites. Since 2010, Jordan has dedicated his craft to providing insightful commentary on all things Chicago sports, and he has enjoyed his venture into all things Major League Baseball.