Washington Nationals: 5 candidates to fill final rotation spot

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Lance Lynn

Following the trend of sinkerballers, Lance Lynn is an excellent candidate to fill the hole in the Nats rotation. In his six-year career, he has pitched to a microscopic 3.38 ERA.

In addition to regular season dominance, Lynn has a tremendous amount of postseason experience. The Cardinals made it to the postseason in five of his six seasons, including winning the World Series in 2011.

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Over the course of his career, Lynn has pitched in 24 postseason games. For a team that has yet to make it out of the NLDS, this could be an invaluable asset.

While the Nats will certainly take a look at several starters, they will likely do their due diligence on Lynn. When the Nats were exploring starter options around the trade deadline in 2017, they were reportedly scouting Lynn. The Nats were interested then and should remain interested now.

Lynn should also be somewhat affordable. He made $7.5 million last season and is likely due for a raise, but should remain affordable compared to other starters. His consistent regular season success and postseason experience also make him worth the money.

While Lynn never played for one of Martinez’s teams, they have been in the same division for the past three seasons. Since the Cubs and Cardinals are in the same division, Martinez had to prepare to face Lynn somewhat frequently and knows what he is capable of. Because of this, Martinez may push for the Nats to sign Lynn.

Next: Trea Turner's next chapter

With Joe Ross likely set to miss the entire 2018 season, the Nats now have a hole in their rotation. They will undoubtedly take a look at many starters throughout the off-season, but Erick Fedde, A.J. Cole, Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb, and Lance Lynn would all be great fits.

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