It's a little early for "best shape of my life" stories. But it's getting late in Lance Lynn's career.
Frustrated by knee trouble that last season limited him to 117 1/3 innings, his lowest total for a full campaign excluding the 2016 season he missed while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Lynn adjusted his training regimen. In a phone interview Wednesday, the 6-foot-5 right-hander said he has lost 20 pounds, dropping from 280 to 260.
Lynn, 37, became a free agent when the St. Louis Cardinals declined his $12 million club option. Since his debut in 2011, he ranks sixth in the majors with 2,006 1/3 innings pitched, behind only Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner. And like most players, Lynn wants to extend his career as long as possible.
"The older you get, you learn new things," Lynn said. "When you look at your knees and lower body, with my age and the way my body's built, I was going to have to lose a little bit of weight. That was the No. 1 priority, right out of the gate."
Lynn twice went on the injured last season with right knee inflammation, making only two starts after July 30. He said the injury was "something that was unexpected, came out of nowhere." During the time he was hurt, he reached out for advice from a number of former teammates who pitched into their late 30s and early 40s. The group included John Lackey, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and CC Sabathia.
"I kind of came to the conclusion that I wasn't done," Lynn said. "And if I'm not done, I've got to change some stuff up, just to make sure I can do the things I need to do and give myself the best chance to stay healthy for as long as I want to do it.
"I think I've revamped every five or six years. Here's another revamp to maybe get ready for my last act here going into my late 30s."
By losing weight, Lynn created more range of motion in his hips and took pressure off his knee. But he isn't just trying to slim down. Lynn noted the importance of striking a proper balance, maintaining his strength and improving his flexibility.
His current weight, he said, is "where I need to be." If he drops additional pounds during the normal course of training, so be it. But Lynn is not going to force the issue, and risk losing the muscle mass necessary to make 30 starts and pitch 200 innings. Yes, those are still his goals. The last time he reached both totals was 2019.
His right knee was not a new concern. The first time it sent him to the IL was late in the 2021 season, when he was a member of the Chicago White Sox. In 2022, Lynn tore one of the tendons in the knee during spring training, and required surgery that sidelined him for more than two months at the start of the season. He now believes he was playing catch-up trying to get ready for the season, and returned from the surgery too quickly.
In 2023, he had an abbreviated offseason while preparing to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, and wound up allowing a major-league high 44 homers with the White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. Last season, he was so preoccupied with pitching better, he said he neglected his knee.
When healthy, Lynn said he had the best feeling for his pitch mix in a long time. He ended up making 23 starts, finishing with a 3.84 ERA. Take away a miserable July 6 outing against the Nationals in which he allowed 10 earned runs, and that number drops to 3.14.
He has pitched for six teams in the past seven seasons. But for his career, his adjusted ERA is 11 percent above league average. And now that he is a free agent, teams want him for the same reason the Cardinals wanted him last winter. To soak up innings. To set an example for the rest of the staff.
"To be honest, I was surprised by the number of teams that have called," Lynn said. "It's been a wide variety of teams looking to contend and teams looking to have veteran presence.
"I've got no problem helping young kids and doing the things I need to do, to pass things along in this game. I enjoy that. But I also want the chance to play for a World Series. I'm going to have to weigh all options and see what is not only best for me, but also how things work with my family."
Lynn is married and a father of four, ages two to 12. He said a time will come when he wants to put his family first. He understands he is in the twilight of his career. But if this is indeed his last act, he wants to remain on stage for as long as possible.
"I really enjoy competing, as people can see when I pitch. I like getting after it, and I feel like I still can," Lynn said. "For me, that's the No. 1 thing. If I still enjoy competing and still know I can get outs, I'm going to give it everything I've got.
"Your goal is always to play for as long as you can. You always put a number on it: 'Man, it would be great to play until I'm 40.' If I use that number, I've got three more years. But I don't want to put a number on it. I'm going to go out when I'm ready to go out. Right now, I'm not ready to go out."