By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today | @cbrown_STLBBT | July 29, 2017, 8:25 pm CT
Updated at 11:21 pm with new information:
Lance Lynn is scheduled to take the ball on Sunday in what would be his 22nd start of the 2017 season.
It’s a start Lynn told reporters Saturday afternoon he still expects to make for the Cardinals.
It’s a start the Cardinals left Busch Stadium Saturday night expecting him to make for them, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
But Lynn making that 22nd start for the Cardinals on Sunday, just one day before the non-waiver trade deadline, is still no certainty, with reports of interest from other teams continuing to come in.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported Saturday evening that the Astros have shown interest in Lynn, adding that Cardinals and Astros officials are “comfortable dealing with one another, despite recent history.”
That report followed multiple others within the past few days which have shed a bit of light on the Cardinals approach regarding Lynn leading up to Monday’s trade deadline as well as some teams that have expressed interest in the 30-year-old right-hander.
Morosi previously reported Friday afternoon that the Cardinals and Royals have discussed Lynn in trade talks, although he noted that it’s currently unclear whether or not there is any momentum toward a deal.
Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported Thursday morning that the Cardinals’ decision on trading Lynn “will be based entirely on whether (the) team gets (the) right offer,” and will not be affected by Adam Wainwright’s recent injury or the club’s recent performance.
On Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote that the team “remain(s) in the process of generating a market and offers” for Lynn, even as they explore adding a bat as well as relief help.
[Report: Cardinals have told teams they’re willing to trade an outfielder]
The Rockies, Royals and Yankees have also reportedly been among the teams expressing interest in Lynn, and Goold reports that the Cardinals had at least one scout present at a recent Yankees minor league game.
Additionally, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted Friday afternoon that other teams are waiting for a clear indication from the Cardinals on whether they intend to trade Lynn, who Olney called “among (the) most coveted [starters] in (the) market.”
In his first season since undergoing Tommy John surgery, Lynn has posted a 8-6 record and 3.21 ERA across 120 2/3 innings.
Whether or not he throws another inning for the Cardinals this season, at this point, is no certainty.
