Report: Lynn plans to reject Cardinals' qualifying offer

Lance Lynn officially became a free agent Thursday, and it appears the veteran starter will test the open market.

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to present the right-hander with a $17.4-million qualifying offer, which Lynn plans to reject, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch.

The 30-year-old looks set to try to take advantage of the market for starting pitching, which is thin after Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta.

Lynn was 11-8 with a 3.43 ERA across 33 starts for the Cardinals last season. He managed to pitch 186 1/3 innings during his first season back from Tommy John surgery.

Teams have until Monday to present their free agents a qualifying offer, and players then have until Nov. 13 to accept or reject.

If Lynn were to sign with a club other than the Cardinals, St. Louis would receive draft-pick compensation.