(670 The Score) When the Cubs signed left-hander Jon Lester to a six-year, $155-million deal in December 2014, it signaled their intention to contend after several years of rebuilding.
Lester is now entering the final season of that contract, and his future with the Cubs is uncertain -- like that for many of his teammates.
The 36-year-old Lester isn't sure what's ahead for his career, and the uncertainty surrounding the format of a shortened 2020 season only adds to those questions.
"For me, I don't know what is going to happen next year," Lester said in an interview with WEEI, as Rob Bradford reported. "I know I have the team option, the player option, that sort of thing. We'll figure that out one way or the other. I will either be here or be a free agent. Obviously, everything is open. I'm open-minded to anything. Absolutely, it would be cool to go back and finish my career where it all started (with the Red Sox). But, I've got a little time before I really have to sit down and weigh that decision, even if it's something where they want me back. Hopefully, I'm still a good enough caliber pitcher that the want of my services will still be out there for people. We'll see.
"It's weird. Not only for the individuals that are going into free agency or arbitration or whatnot. People are getting a year older and not putting up numbers. With how our game is now with everybody so focused on your age and all that, this really hurts people. On a personal level, this hurts me. I'm not getting any younger and coming off a year like I had last year, this isn't going to help me.
"It's crazy. And I know it will be a shortened season, but hopefully, we can just get back to a lot of those questions can be answered on the field and guys can not be bitter about this whole situation. It sucks. We're all in it. It's not like it's a certain group of guys who can plan or can't play."
Lester was 13-10 with a 4.46 ERA in 2019. He's 74-41 with a 3.54 ERA over five seasons with the Cubs. His contract included a vesting option for 2021 if he reached 200 innings in 2020 or 400 innings combined between 2019-'20. However, with this season expected to be shortened, reaching that innings goal isn't likely.
Lester played for the Red Sox from 2006-'14 after Boston selected him in second round of the 2002 MLB amateur draft. Boston then traded him to Oakland during the 2014, after which he signed with Chicago.
During the coronavirus outbreak, Lester has been at his home in Georgia waiting to see how MLB will move forward. He said it's "going to be weird" to some degree but believes baseball "can bring some happiness" when it returns.
MLB hasn't set a definitive date for its return. When it does get going again, a condensed spring training would first need to be conducted for several weeks.
"I need to know a date to ramp it up," Lester said. "I don't want to waste bullets down here in the backyard or at some high school. That's the hard part of this whole deal. Really the hitters will probably have the advantage when we do come back over the pitchers just for the simple fact because how fast can we really ramp up where we aren't risking injury. Not only injuries where you miss a start or two, but the bad injuries where you miss the whole season."
