Chicago White Sox reportedly trade starter Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly to Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of Tuesday’s deadline – The Denver Post

Veteran Lance Lynn helped the Chicago White Sox to the playoffs in 2021

He’ll look to aid the Los Angeles Dodgers after the Sox reportedly traded the right-hander Friday.

Joining him in Los Angeles will be reliever Joe Kelly, who previously won World Series titles with the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was the first to report the trade news.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Sox will receive Double A right-handed starter Nick Nastrini, Double A right-handed reliever Jordan Leasure and veteran outfielder Trayce Thompson, whose big-league career began with the Sox in 2015.

Lynn has one of the highest ERAs in baseball among qualified pitchers this season at 6.47. But he’s also among the major league leaders in strikeouts (144) and innings (119 2/3).

Sox manager Pedro Grifol spoke about Lynn’s importance before Wednesday’s game.

“His steadiness. How he understands the role that he’s got in being the veteran guy in a rotation,” Grifol said. “He understands the leadership part of it that he’s had to take on with younger starters. It means a lot to any ballclub.

“Him taking the ball every five days and never complaining about anything and giving you 100 pitches plus? It means the world to any team and to any manager knowing that this guy’s going to go out there — whether he gives up three in the first or none in the first or five in the first — he’s going to be pitching in the seventh inning. There’s a lot of value to Lance Lynn.”

The Sox acquired Lynn in a trade in December 2020. He played a major role in the Sox winning their first division title since 2008, going 11-6 in 2021 with a 2.69 ERA. He fell five innings short of leading the American League in ERA.

Lynn made the AL All-Star team and placed third in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

He was limited to 21 starts in 2022, missing the first two-plus months of the season because of a knee injury suffered in spring training.

Lynn started slowly last season, going 1-3 with a 7.50 ERA in his seven starts before the All-Star break and turned it on in the second half, going 7-4 with a 2.52 ERA in his 14 starts after the break. This year, he’s been hurt by home runs (28).

Kelly, who went on the IL July 5 with right elbow inflammation, has a 4.97 ERA, one save, 11 holds and 41 strikeouts in 31 appearances this season.

His best stretch started at the end of April when he compiled a 10-game scoreless streak from April 30-May 23.

Kelly signed a two-year deal with the Sox before the 2022 season, and went 2-7 with a 5.54 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 72 appearances.

His stint with the team was delayed when he began 2022 on the IL with a right biceps nerve injury. He made 43 appearances last season.

He’s had two trips to the IL this season — a right groin strain April 9-24 and the elbow inflammation. He was reinstated from the IL on July 22.

Lynn and Kelly both will provide the Dodgers with plenty of big-game postseason experience: Lynn has pitched in 27 postseason games and Kelly has appeared in 40.

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