Lance Lynn made his scheduled start against the Cubs on Wednesday with rumors of interest from the Rays and Dodgers in the veteran right-hander circulating earlier in the day.
One coach passed Lynn, talking to teammates in the clubhouse, and gave a swift pat on the leg, asking, “Still here?”
There were grins all around.
Everyone knows what’s up. Everyone hears.
“The group we have, we’re pretty sarcastic, so most of the time we’re joking around when we’re talking about it,” catcher Seby Zavala said of trade rumors discussed in the clubhouse before the White Sox’ 10-7 loss, their fifth in a row. “You don’t always know what’s true or what isn’t with stuff being talked about.”
Zavala knows he is a good friend of Lucas Giolito, who was dealt to the Angels in a trade announced after the game.
“It’s kind of a known thing that Lucas is maybe not going to be here,” Zavala said. “I wish someone would tell me if we’re going to have one more go at this or what is going to happen.
“He’s a good friend. We’ll definitely keep in touch no matter where goes, but he’s not going anywhere. He’s going to go play baseball somewhere else, and hopefully we’ll see each other in spring training or wherever. But that’s part of baseball.”
It’s like Dylan Cease said last week of Giolito being on the block: “It’s not like he’s dying or anything.”
The Sox’ season, however, is mostly dead. Blowing a five-run lead and losing to the crosstown rival Cubs was just another heaping helping of doom on a gloomy season that has them 21 games below .500.
While Giolito was the better target for teams serious about winning, Lynn would be more for teams looking to buy low and not give up much.
Trade negotiations certainly involve how much salary Lynn’s new team would take on. He is owed about $6 million for the rest of the season and comes with a team option for next year.
Lynn (6.32 ERA) wasn’t very good against the Cubs, allowing seven runs in 4⅔ innings and needing 100 pitches to get through it. He gave up seven hits, walked two, struck out two and failed to protect a 7-2 lead going into the fifth.
Joe Kelly relieved Lynn and struck out Miles Mastrobuoni, but his breaking pitch in the dirt eluded Zavala for a wild pitch, scoring a run. A hit by pitch and walks to Mike Tauchman and Nico Hoerner with the bases loaded plated the fifth and sixth runs of the inning.
The Sox had scored four in the fourth, Jake Burger (22nd home run) and Eloy Jimenez (two-run double) delivering the big hits. Jimenez also singled in two runs in the first against Marcus Stroman, who lasted 3„ innings. But the Sox had one hit after they knocked out Stroman in the fourth.
Manager Pedro Grifol might have known more about trade talks involving Lynn than he was letting on. There wasn’t any talk about keeping Lynn out to avoid the risk of an injury that would affect his value.
“It has nothing to do with the trade deadline, and everything to do with how we prepare on a daily basis,” Grifol said.
Zavala caught Lynn.
“He has your back,” Zavala said.
“He’s a big part of why I’m here. He has faith in me and put in a good word for me. So that’s two guys’ names being dropped at the trade deadline who helped me and backed me. If they do leave, it will suck, but it’s a business, and they’ll do what they have to do.”
