White Sox and Lance Lynn agree to terms on two-year contract extension with club option for 2024
CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox and All-Star right-handed pitcher Lance Lynn have agreed to terms on a two-year, $38-million contract extension, which includes a club option for the 2024 season.
Under terms of the extension, Lynn will receive $18.5 million in both 2022 and 2023, with the White Sox holding an $18-million option for 2024 with a $1-million buyout.
Lynn, 34, has gone 9-3 with a 1.99 ERA (20 ER/90.2 IP) and 105 strikeouts over 16 starts this season, his first with the Sox after being acquired from Texas on December 8, 2020 in exchange for right-hander Dane Dunning and lefty Avery Weems.
Lynn leads the American League with a 1.99 ERA, the lowest mark by a White Sox pitcher in the first half since Wilbur Wood (1.69) in 1971, and ranks among the leaders in opponents average (2nd, .189), slugging percentage (2nd, .303), OPS (2nd, .303), on-base percentage (3rd, .260), wins (T3rd), home runs per 9.0 IP (7th, 0.89) and strikeouts per 9.0 IP (8th, 10.42). He was named to his second AL All-Star Team (also 2012), throwing 1.0 scoreless IP at the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday in Colorado.
“We are thrilled to be able to keep Lance in a White Sox uniform for the next several seasons,” said Rick Hahn, White Sox senior vice president/general manager. “He very quickly proved himself to be not only an All-Star caliber addition to the front of our rotation but also the positive clubhouse presence that we envisioned at the time of the acquisition. We look forward to Lance continuing to be a big part of what we’re hoping to accomplish not just in 2021 but now beyond.”
Lynn has gone 113-74 with a 3.48 ERA (586 ER/1,517.1 IP) and 1,520 strikeouts in 276 career games (252 starts) over 11 major-league seasons with St. Louis (2011-17), Minnesota (2018), the Yankees (2018), Texas (2019-20) and the White Sox.
Since the start of the 2019 season, Lynn ranks among the AL leaders in wins (2nd, 31), IP (2nd, 383.0), starts (T2nd, 62), ERA (3rd, 3.20), strikeouts (4th, 440), opponents slugging percentage (3rd, .369), average (4th, .223), OPS (4th, .654) and OBP (4th, .286), strikeouts per 9.0 IP (4th, 10.34) and strikeout to walk ratio (4th, 3.83). He finished sixth in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 2020 and fifth in 2019.
Lynn has made 26 career postseason appearances (seven starts), going 5-4 with a 4.80 ERA (29 ER/54.1 IP) and 52 strikeouts. He pitched for White Sox manager Tony La Russa as a rookie in 2011 when the Cardinals won the World Series.