Lance Lynn is joining his former teammates out on the West Coast.
After missing out on Lucas Giolito, the Dodgers have pivoted and acquired Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly from the White Sox in exchange for RHP Nick Nastrini, RHP Jordan Leasure, and OF Trayce Thompson. This was first reported by Bob Nightengale and confirmed by Ken Rosenthal, with the return later confirmed by Jeff Passan.
Not too long before the move was officially announced, Bob Bob Nightengale and Ken Rosenthal put out reports that a deal was “close” while the Dodgers were “cautiously optimistic” about getting things done.
After being acquired in exchange for Dane Dunning and Avery Weems before the 2021 season, Lance Lynn has had his worst season on the South Side throughout 2023. In 119.2 innings this year, Lynn has a 6.47 ERA, 5.22 FIP, and 26.9 K% while struggling mightily with the long ball, giving up 28 of them over the course of his 21 starts. In his entire White Sox tenure, he has finished in the top 10 in Cy Young voting in 2021, and over 398.1 innings on the South Side, went 25-22 with a 4.23 ERA that is heavily inflated by a rough 2023 campaign. He is certainly known for – and will be remembered here – for his southside attitude and ability to eat up innings for teams.
Kelly, a favorite of former manager Tony La Russa, didn’t see the success he would’ve wanted in his time on the South Side. Despite having incredible stuff, Kelly battled injuries and ineffectiveness both years in Chicago, posting a 5.59 ERA in 66 innings. Almost impressively, his FIP sits at 3.14, more than two full runs below his ERA – certainly part of the reason the Dodgers believe some bad luck may have played into his tenure with the White Sox.
On the latest Sox On 35th podcast, Bob Nightengale mentioned that fans shouldn’t expect to see a top 5 prospect in return for Lynn’s services, and that is exactly what happened here – though the White Sox certainly received some good potential. Nastrini, 23, ranks as the Dodgers’ 10th-best prospect, per Baseball America. He has the ability to be a #4-type starter with a powerful fastball that sits 94-95 mph and touches 98 mph. He has advanced quickly through the Dodgers’ system, and in 73.2 innings this season, he has a 4.03 ERA with a 26.1% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate. This is a big upside play for the White Sox.
Leasure, 24, has been a reliever throughout his career. Drafted by the Dodgers in the 14th round in 2021, Leasure finds himself dominating Double-A currently. In 35 innings this season, he has a 3.09 ERA with a 39.7% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate. He is not ranked among the Dodgers’ top 30 prospects by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, but with a 98 mph fastball and strong slider, it’s not because of his stuff.
And, finally, White Sox fans are well aware of who Trayce Thompson is – whose inclusion in this trade is an interesting one. Originally drafted by the White Sox in the second round in 2009, Thompson has struggled mightily in 2023 after a really strong season lat year. In just 87 plate appearances this year, he is hitting .155/.310/.366 after hitting .256/.353/.507 in 255 plate appearances last season. It is likely Thompson is here to serve in some sort of depth role for the White Sox as they look to put their roster together for the rest of the season. He has battled an oblique injury this season.
This now makes four names who have moved for the White Sox – with still a few relievers likely to head out the door. The sell-off isn’t necessarily done just yet.
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