The Chicago Cubs have a ton of payroll flexibility and all signs point towards them being big players in costless agency this off-season. With a roster full of exciting and young position player talent, attacking the pitching market appears to be the best way for the Cubs to make a splash this winter.
Mostly due to his connections with President Theo Epstein and many others in their front office, the Cubs have been connected to costless agent Jon Lester for a long time, and now have reportedly made him an offer. According to David Kaplan of CSNChicago, the Cubs made Lester a “significant offer.” Kaplan’s sources told him that the offer is, “north of $135 million.”
This is reportedly the second (and largest) offer that Lester has received this off-season, as the Boston Red Sox have submitted a six-year bid worth $110-$120 million. Reports also surfaced on Tuesday that the 30-year-old southpaw will also meet with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants next week. After already meeting with the Cubs, Red Sox and Atlanta Braves, and teams like the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees lurking in the weeds, there is clearly a ton of interest in Lester on the open market.
Most expect Lester to return to the Red Sox, and with their recent additions of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, they are clearly in “go for it” mode. That being said, the Cubs represent an attractive situation for Lester as well, and if Kaplan’s report is correct, they are clearly going to be aggressive in their chase of him.