The White Sox traded Lance Lynn to the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday afternoon along with Joe Kelly in exchange for two pitching prospects and outfielder Trayce Thompson.
Before bidding the White Sox adieu, Lynn met with reporters to reflect on his South Side tenure and untimely departure. He also set the record straight about his relationship with general manager Rick Hahn.
Lynn had expressed frustration with the lack of communication about his trade status and said he was hearing whispers from everybody except the White Sox’ front office.
“In the past, I’ve had a little bit more communication knowing what’s going on, knowing what might happen,” Lynn said on Thursday before he was traded.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Lynn took the opportunity on Friday to clarify his remarks.
“I think it kind of came out wrong,” he said. “Rick's been good to me. He's been with me the whole way.
“And he told me, ‘Hey, I got nothing for you.’ So at the time, he didn't have anything for me. You hear other things and you just assume things, but he's been with me every step of the way. Even signing the extension and all that, we've had a great time together, great relationship. They told me as much as they could, and I thank them for that.”
It’s tough to blame a guy for being anxious, and Lynn admits the trade deadline is nerve-racking for everyone, even those who aren’t on the trading block.
White Sox News
“It’s always a weird time,” he said. “You lose friends and families that you're close with. They come and go at this time, so you're never really looking forward to the trade deadline. So it is a relief when it's over because now you kind of know what it’s going to be, and then you get ready for the last run of the season.”
Lance Lynn hasn’t pitched his best this year. He holds a 6.18 ERA through 20 starts, allowing the most earned runs (78) and home runs (28) of any starter. Though, he's shown superior flashes through a franchise-record 16-strikeout game and three 7-inning appearances. The 2021 Cy Young candidate is hopeful he can lock in for a postseason run with the Dodgers.
“There’s still stuff that I’m doing well,” he said. “There’s some things I need to clean up, so hopefully I'm able to do that and help the [Dodgers] down the stretch here.
“I loved my time here. It didn't work out with as much as we winning as we’d have liked. But I have great memories. We have great friends, great relationships, and I'm happy to have that time that I had here. But it is a business, and sometimes these things happen. I'm just looking forward to the possibility of making a playoff push.”