All we know right now is that Jon Lester made a lot of people happy over the weekend. Almost 5,000 to be exact.
But the act of buying beers for the city of Chicago could be viewed in two ways from the now-free agent: 1. As a farewell; 2. As a thank you.
Appearing on the Bradfo Sho podcast, Cubs manager David Ross made it clear that he is hoping it is the latter.
"I think they know my position," Ross said. " I definitely think there is more in the tank for Jon. That's Jed (Hoyer) and Theo (Epstein's) area. I try to tread lightly on that. They are really good and have a lot of experience. If they ask my opinion I give it to them. I think Jon is going to have a really good year next year. I hope it's with us, but the business aspect of the game right now is so far out of my league with all that is happening and with COVID and all that. Those guys are dealing with budget stuff and roster construction. I was never a big fantasy football guy. This is much more than fantasy football. We talk and I have some input. Jed bounces things off me. I'll leave that to them. They know where I stand."
There is undoubtedly a sizable group of Red Sox fans who are hoping for a reunion with Lester. It's a notion that the lefty is clearly open to.
But determining the 36-year-old's value is a big part of the equation, with Lester coming off a 2020 season in which he a 5.16 ERA in 12 starts.
Then there is how Lester's overall stuff -- and velocity -- is holding up heading into his Age 37 season.
But considering Lester's ability to serve as a powerful voice in any clubhouse, along with his reliability when it comes to taking the mound, Ross, for one, believes a normal offseason will result in a solid overall acquisition for some team. (For what it's worth, MLB Trade Rumors projects Lester to sign a one-year, $5 million deal with Atlanta.)
"If you look back, I don't want to give the world the scouting report on Jon, but he came into spring training and he had some velocity he hadn't had that early really since he had been in Chicago," the Cubs' manager said. "He came in at a really good place. I think for a lot of people, especially veteran players, it was really tough to stay sharp during the quarantine time. You saw some of these guys who had great years and you saw some guys who just couldn't get it going. I think Jon was in the middle of that. He had some highs and lows. He had some really good spurts. I know it's in there but the velocity really never ticked back up to where I think he can get. Having an offseason and really reworking his program and downtime, I think you're going to see a really good Jon Lester next year."