3 mid-tier starters the San Diego Padres should target during free agency, 1 they should avoid

Padres should avoid Dodgers starter Lance Lynn in free agency

The Dodgers made a trade acquiring Lance Lynn at the trade deadline despite the veteran having a horrific first half with the White Sox. The Dodgers badly needed rotation help and for a brief period, it looked like they had turned his season around. His strong start to his Dodgers career included a start against the Padres in which he allowed just one run in six innings at Petco Park.

Lynn had a 1.44 ERA in his first four starts with the Dodgers but finished the season with a 6.23 ERA in his last seven outings. He then started Game 3 of the NLDS and proceeded to allow four consecutive home runs in Arizona's series-clinching victory. Overall, the right-hander had a 5.73 ERA in 32 starts and 183.2 innings pitched this year.

While Lynn continued to show that he has great strikeout stuff, he allowed a whopping 44 home runs this season. This was the most in the majors. While Lynn most likely won't have an ERA approaching 6.00 next season, there's a good chance the 36-year-old is just running out of gas and isn't the same pitcher he once was.

The Dodgers have the opportunity to bring Lynn back for the 2024 season if they exercise his $18 million club option, but chances are they won't be doing that. Signing him wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if San Diego believes he can be closer to his usual self, but there're plenty of other more intriguing options they have to choose from than a pitcher who appears to be running out of gas.