Lance Lynn, who went 2-14 in 46 starts over the past two seasons, has been traded from the Texas Rangers to the Chicago White Sox, according to a source. Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
CHICAGO — Lance Lynn was thrilled to join a team eyeing a World Series run and to reunite with the manager who led him to a championship as a rookie.
The Chicago White Sox seemed like a perfect fit. And their new workhorse starter is ready to, well, get to work.
“In your career, you want to win,” he said. “That’s first and foremost, to have the opportunity to come to an organization that really is making the push to win and win now. And you look at the team they have. They’ve got a lot of young star power. You’re stoked to come in and help push them over the top.”
The White Sox finalized a trade for Lynn with the Texas Rangers and reunited with free agent outfielder Adam Eaton on Tuesday, boosting their rotation while addressing a hole in right field.
Eaton agreed to a one-year deal that guarantees him $8 million, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced. Eaton’s salary for next season is $7 million. The White Sox hold an $8.5 million option for 2022, with a $1 million buyout.
Lynn was acquired from Texas for pitchers Dane Dunning and Avery Weems. The White Sox have been busy this offseason, also hiring Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa to replace Rick Renteria.
“I think it’s pretty clear what our intentions are at this time,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “We feel the window is open and we’re now gonna be aggressive in our efforts to try to put us in our best position to win championships.”
With AL MVP José Abreu and young stars such as 2019 major league batting champion Tim Anderson and ace Lucas Giolito, the White Sox made the playoffs for the first time since 2008. They finished second in the AL Central at 35-25.
Chicago has a potentially dominant rotation with Lynn joining Giolito and Dallas Keuchel at the top — particularly if Dylan Cease harnesses his control and Michael Kopech delivers on his promise after missing 2019 because of Tommy John surgery and opting out this year.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Lynn was 22-14 in 46 starts the past two seasons for the Rangers, with 335 strikeouts over 292 1/3 innings. The right-hander has an $8 million salary in 2021, the final season of a $30 million, three-year contract he signed with Texas two winters ago.
ROYALS: Kansas City and veteran first baseman Carlos Santana have agreed to a $17 million, two-year contract that plugs one of their biggest offensive holes while providing some clubhouse leadership for a rebuilding club.
The 34-year-old Santana was an All-Star two years ago in Cleveland, when he hit a career-best .281 with 34 homers and 93 RBI. But he slid to .199 with eight homers and 30 RBIs while playing 60 games during the shortened 2020 season, resulting in the Indians declining his $17.5 million option for the upcoming season.
The Royals were in the middle with a .244 team average last season, but they hit just 68 home runs and were tied with – coincidentally – the Indians for the sixth-worst scoring offense in the majors.
SPINKS AWARD: Dick Kaegel, who covered the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals and edited The Sporting News during a career of more than 53 years, has won the Hall of Fame’s J.G. Taylor Spink Award for meritorious contributions to baseball writing. He will be honored during induction weekend from July 23-26 in Cooperstown, New York.
Kaegel will receive the Spink award along with the late Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe during a double ceremony on July 24. Cafardo was the 2020 Spink winner, and the 2020 inductions were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Derek Jeter and Larry Walker will be inducted July 25 along with any players chosen in this year’s voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which will be announced Jan. 26.
Kaegel received 183 of 374 ballots in voting announced Tuesday in the annual election by writers who have been BBWAA members for 10 or more consecutive years.
Marty Noble of Newsday in New York and The Record in New Jersey received 115 votes. Baseball America founder Allan Simpson got 73.
HANK AARON AWARD: First basemen Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves and José Abreu of the Chicago White Sox have won Hank Aaron Awards as the outstanding offensive performers in each league as voted by MLB.com.
Freeman, 31, was second in the NL in batting .341, OBP (.462), slugging percentage (.640) and OPS (1.102).
The 33-year-old Abreu hit .317 with 15 doubles, 19 homers and 60 RBI during 60 games in the pandemic-shortened season.
Abreu was voted AL MVP and Freeman won NL MVP.
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