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It's not certain whether the Cardinals will undertake a sell-off leading up to Monday's non-waiver trade deadline. If they do, however, than veteran right-hander Lance Lynn figures to be one of their most valuable chips.

Here's more on that possibility ... 

Yep, the Astros, still looking to fortify that rotation, may have eyes for Lance Lynn. This Cardinals-Astros rumor of course occurs against the backdrop of the hacking scandal in which the Cardinals were forced to give up draft picks. In keeping with the notion that business isn't personal, these two teams, post-hacking scandal, are apparently open to dealing with one another even in the major-trade capacity, which necessarily entails a lot of back and forth. 

As for Lynn, in his first season back from Tommy John surgery he's pitched to a 3.21 ERA (133 ERA+) and 2.61 K/BB ratio in 21 starts. For his career, he owns an ERA+ of 115 across parts of six big-league seasons. Lynn is in the final year of a three-year, $22 million contract and will be eligible for free agency this coming offseason. 

The Astros are running away with the AL West, but they have some durability concerns in the rotation. As they aim for a deep playoff run, Lynn would give them some needed rotation depth.