The Chicago Cubs have officially declined Jon Lester‘s 2021 team option. Lester was set to make $25 million next season and the move will cost Chicago $10 million to buy-out the remainder of his contract. Lester is now a free agent for the first time since 2014 when he signed his massive deal with the Cubs. This has been expected to happen because of his natural decline in play as he ages as the 36-year old left-hander’s production just isn’t worth that kind of money. He finished the season with a 3-3 record, 5.16 ERA, and 42 strikeouts in 12 starts, where he managed to pitch 61 innings.
Love Jon Lester! pic.twitter.com/lefcZBN7nV
— Chief Cub (@ChiefCub) October 30, 2020
Market for Lester
Jon Lester will certainly be on many teams radars during the off-season as an option late in the rotation. Who knows, he may even end up back with Chicago. They could work out a more team-friendly deal. If not, it’ll be sad to see the veteran go. He’s been a leader in the clubhouse and was instrumental in their multiple playoff runs throughout the past six seasons. Lester will likely look to land with a contender to finish out his career and pursue his fourth championship.
Some early candidates besides Chicago are the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres. Both of those teams will be juggernauts in the National League for the foreseeable future and could use some depth in their rotations. It wouldn’t hurt to add a guy like Lester, who has been a proven winner in his career. These won’t be his only options but look like the best candidates as of right now.
Jon Lester $25M option declined and Cubs will pay $10M buyout. In this environment, this one was obvious. Cubs will consider trying to re-sign.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 30, 2020
As for the Cubs, it looks like Adbert Alzolay may finally make his way into the rotation. He performed well in limited starts, which usually came during doubleheaders. They may only need to fill one more spot over the offseason unless they re-sign Tyler Chatwood. Chatwood had a great start to the 2020 season, but struggled to stay healthy, much like his counterpart Jose Quintana. Quintana is also a free agent, and Chicago isn’t likely to offer him another contract. He was replaced by Alec Mills, who is a definite lock to remain a starter. He was impressive all year, and has a bright future ahead of him. Their starting pitching was a strong suit throughout the shortened season. Not too many decisions will have to be made in that department. They’ve got bigger roster issues to address this winter.
A Chicago Legend
Now that his future has been addressed, it’s only fitting to look back at what he’s done for the Cubs organizations. Chicago’s front office went all out for Jon Lester — and rightfully so. Once he joined the team, they became instant contenders. Theo Epstein knew that Lester would bring a winning culture to Chicago. They surprised everyone in his first season with the club, when they went all the way to the NLCS. Of course, that was a sign of things to come because the following year Chicago won the World Series.
His signing might be one of the best in Cubs history. It was a catapult in contention for a franchise that was desperately looking to be relevant again. Jon Lester was always a class act on and off the field. He held himself and teammates accountable, and never lost his winning mentality. Even over the past few months when he knew his time in Chicago may be winding down, he always put the team first. This couldn’t have been an easy decision for the organization’s leaders, but it was the right one. Whether or not Lester ever puts on a Cubs jersey again, he will always be remembered as a legend in Wrigley Field.
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