The Cubs Have Reportedly Offered Jon Lester More Than $135 Million
Numerous teams have expressed interest in Jon Lester, one of the top pitchers available this winter, but the Chicago Cubs appear to be among the most aggressive clubs pursuing the 30-year-old free agent. The Cubs have reportedly offered Lester a contract worth more than $135 million as they look to add a premium starter to their decidedly underwhelming rotation, sources told David Kaplan of CSNChicago.
Lester, however, continues to be coveted by several teams with the financial girth to compete with the Cubs’ reported offer. The three-time All-Star has drawn interest from both the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves, and a reunion with the Boston Red Sox remains a possibility as well. Lester, who reportedly rejected a four-year extension worth between $70-80 million from the Red Sox during spring training, would be a welcome addition to a Cubs rotation that fashioned a 4.11 ERA last season, the third-worst mark in the National League
Ooooh boy. Come on down Jonny. We’ve got young hitting, we’ve got an awesome ballpark, it’s the NL where pitching is super easy, and we totally don’t have the emotional baggage of a 100+ year curse following the team around everywhere they go or anything. In all seriousness though this would be enormous. The dirty little secret with the Cubs if you watched them last year is that they actually do have pitching. Arrieta is a front of the rotation guy, slot him in at the 2, Kyle Hendricks showed a lot of promise and can be a solid and 3 and then between Wood, Wada, Jacob Turner, Edwin Jackson (don’t laugh), and whatever other reclamation project Theo is able to snag you have your 4 and 5. Get that front of the rotation ace, the guy who can win you 20 games and the rotation all comes together. Come on Jon, be part of something special, bring the first World Series to the North Side in over 100 years, all the cool kids are in on it (Theo and Jed) and on your off days you can booze in the Playpen without anyone taking pictures of you or snooping into your life, promise.