Report: Lynn, Cardinals open to discussing extension

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn likely pitched himself into a massive pay raise, which could come in the form of an extension.  

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Lynn and the Cardinals are open to discussing a contract extension for the 27-year-old, who completed the best season of his young career. 

Lynn is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, coming off a year in which he made $535,000. 

The Indiana native has been a high-quality innings eater for the Cardinals the last two seasons, putting up a combined 3.35 ERA (3.31 FIP) over 405 2/3 frames, while averaging 8.42 strikeouts per nine innings.  

Lynn isn't the only Cardinals player whose salary is due to rise next season, as center fielder Jon Jay is entering his second year of arbitration eligibility after making $3.25 million in 2014.

The following year, closer Trevor Rosenthal and right-handers Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha will be arbitration eligible for the first time, as well as power-hitting first baseman Matt Adams.

Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt said the team's payroll will also be going up in the coming years to account for the rising player salaries. 

"We have forecasted increases over the next three to five years that will accommodate what we need to do with the young players we have," DeWitt said. "We knew as younger players matured at the major-league level they would get to arbitration and into free agency. We wouldn't be able to retain them at the current payroll level, so we’re forecasting fairly significant increases in the next three to five years."

The Cardinals had an Opening Day payroll of $111 million, the fourth consecutive year the franchise was over the $100-million mark, according to Baseball Prospectus' Cot's Contracts.