Gritty former Cardinals pitcher announces retirement

The St. Louis Cardinals' vaunted 2011 championship roster has just lost one of its final names, as right-handed pitcher Lance Lynn announced his retirement via his podcast on April 1.

Lynn pitched out the bullpen that year, which was his first season in the major leagues. He owned a 3.12 ERA in 34.2 innings, striking out 40 batters. For his career, which spanned 13 seasons, Lynn pitched 2,006.1 innings, fanning 2,015 batters and holding an ERA of 3.74.

Lynn pitched for the Cardinals, the Minnesota Twins, the New York Yankees, the Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Indiana native re-signed with the Cardinals for his final season in 2024, where he held a respectable 3.84 ERA.

Lynn was notable for throwing his fastball more often than nearly any other pitcher in the league, with over 80% of his pitches being some variant of a fastball throughout much of his career, although he had to adjust his pitching style as he aged to make up for diminishing velocity.

One facet of Lynn that the Cardinals coveted was his "bulldog" mentality. The Cardinals' desire for clubhouse leadership in 2024 was a large reason for their signing of Lynn, and while many fans were confused by the acquisition, Lynn proved that he still had value on the field, where he pitched through knee issues, and presumably even more behind the scenes as one of the many veterans on the team, which included Matt Carpenter and Brandon Crawford.

Following 2024, the Cardinals declined the option on Lynn's contract, and there were rumblings that teams were interested in signing Lynn for a bullpen role. He was reportedly in talks about a contract with the Chicago Cubs before the surprise announcement that he was hanging up his spikes.

Never afraid to say what was on his mind, Lynn spoke about the problems surrounding baseball and, more specifically, one of his former teams when he discussed the Dodgers' spending and how he believes other owners are using it to shift baseball toward a salary cap.

In more ways than one, Lynn was a throwback. His fastball-heavy approach clashed with the ever-increasing number of breaking balls being thrown, and as a clubhouse leader and an intense competitor, Lynn provided a rough demeanor and backed it up on the mound. He will be missed in Cardinals Nation, but it is likely not the last fans will see of Lynn. Next up is the talk of a red jacket.