UPDATE: The division rival Chicago Cubs have confirmed that they’ve signed prized free agent left-hander Jon Lester, who has completed his physical, and that a press conference to introduce Lester is scheduled for Monday. Lester’s contract is worth $155 million over six years and includes multiple options and bonuses as well. Lester is also receiving a full no-trade clause. Read more on the signing and what it means for the Cubs from MLB Trade Rumors and MLB.com.
Related: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses how the Cubs have the Cardinals’ attention and how the redbirds saw the Cubs’ big moves coming. (STLToday.com)
Earlier Report:
According to reports from multiple sources early Wednesday morning, including Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, and David Kaplan of CSN Chicago the Chicago Cubs have signed prized free agent starter Jon Lester to a six-year, $155 million contract with a $15 million vesting option for the seventh year.
Passan reports that Lester turned down an offer from the San Francisco Giants worth roughly $168 million in order to sign with the Cubs. Lester has a well known longstanding relationship with Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, who Lester knew from his time in Boston. The Red Sox, who Lester began the 2014 season with before being traded to the Athletics, were also reported to be aggressively pursuing Lester, who is in line to collect one of the highest average annual salaries ever for a starting pitcher.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that “it feels like we’ve won the baseball lottery.” Maddon also said that the move “definitely propels us into Plan A, which is kind of neat. It’s a big day for us moving forward,” according to Carrie Muskat of Cubs.com/MLB.com. According to Muskat, Maddon also said that Lester could change the franchise: “We’d like to believe that. That’s why you do things like this.”
Lester will serve as the ace of an improving Cubs rotation that includes new addition Jason Hammel, Jake Arrieta, Travis Wood, and Kyle Hendricks. The team also just acquired catcher Miguel Montero in a trade with the Diamondbacks earlier on Tuesday.
The Cubs and new manager Joe Maddon are set to face off against the Cardinals on Major League Baseball’s Opening Day in a matchup which will presumably now be Adam Wainwright vs Jon Lester.
Read more: Yahoo Sports, MLB Trade Rumors
Feature image used under Creative Commons from Keith Allison. No change made. Creative Commons License.
Article image used under Creative Commons from Keith Allison. No changes made. Creative Commons License.
