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Lance Lynn reveals what led to his retirement decision

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Mike Gianakos | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 5:43 PM ET

Veteran pitcher Lance Lynn announced his retirement from MLB after the new season began. While several teams expressed interest in acquiring the free agent hurler, an agreement was not reached this offseason and Lynn ultimately decided to move on.

“Here’s the gist of it; I started making plans and they didn’t involve baseball, so it was pretty obvious the choice to make,” Lynn explained via Foul Territory on X.

“I was enjoying being at home. The numbers [from] the teams weren’t lining up. So, the way I looked at it was, there’s no good time to retire. So why try to force something and be miserable? If that’s your last year, that wouldn’t have been fun. I enjoyed my last year in St. Louis. My family was there, everybody was there [for] my last start. My last start was in Busch Stadium in a win. So it was like, I started to look at it that way. Just go enjoy your life. That was pretty much it,” Lynn added.

Lance Lynn hung up his cleats after 13 MLB seasons

Sep 17, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn (31) reacts as he walks off the field after the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The 37-year-old righty began his Major League career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, after the team selected him in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft. He spent his first six seasons with the Cardinals before becoming something of a journeyman.

Lynn pitched for six different teams over his 13-year career. He made two All-Star Games – with the Cardinals in 2012 and the Chicago White Sox in 2021. His first season with Chicago was probably his best, as he produced a career-high 163 ERA+ and finished third in Cy Young voting.

After a brief stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, Lynn returned to St. Louis on a one-year, $10 million deal in 2024. It would end up being his final MLB season. He made 23 starts for the Cardinals last year, going 7-4 with a 3.84 ERA, 1.338 WHIP and 8.4 K/9.

However, Lynn missed significant time with right knee inflammation and his season ended on the injured list. The Cardinals decided not to pick up his 2025 option, paying a $1 million buyout instead.

Lynn went 143-99 overall in the majors. He had a 3.74 ERA, 1.276 WHIP and 9.0 K/9 in 13 seasons as a starting pitcher.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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