(670 The Score) The Cubs’ pitching staff is still far from complete more than a month-and-a-half into the MLB offseason. Behind the strong one-two punch of Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks, the Cubs have question marks and openings in their rotation.
Still in the mix to potentially fill a back-end rotation spot is free-agent left-hander Jon Lester, the rock of the Cubs’ rotation for the past six years. Manager David Ross is hopeful that Lester will return to the Cubs in 2021.
“I’m optimistic,” Ross said in a Zoom call Wednesday. “I hold out hope. I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy.”
Lester was 3-3 with a 5.16 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 12 starts in 2020. He has gone 77-44 with a 3.64 ERA in 171 starts over six seasons with the Cubs and showcased remarkable durability for his entire career.
While Lester’s days of dominating for seven innings are behind him, what he could still bring the Cubs is a veteran who could reliably eat innings in the No. 5 spot.
Lester’s situation lacks clarity because the Cubs have other priorities to address first. They have a hole to fill in their outfield and need to map out a plan to fill the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in their rotation before focusing on their No. 5 starter. Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay are two internal options who could fill rotation spots.
“We have been very consistent in our conversations with his representatives,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said recently of Lester. “If things could be worked out, we would love to have him. There are other things we must work through first.”
Like most teams amid a difficult financial landscape in the pandemic, the Cubs aren’t expected to spend big dollars in free agency. One route the Cubs could take to address their pitching needs, sources said, is to sign three or four veterans who are coming off underwhelming seasons or who are rehab projects coming back from injuries. The hope would be that one or two of them have strong seasons and become short-term solutions while the organization continues to develop its young pitching and searches for younger contract-controllable players as well. Lester certainly fits the prototype for short-term rotation depth.
Lester has been a beloved teammate and respected clubhouse leader in his Chicago tenure, and the Cubs value that. They’ve often credited him for changing the organization’s culture when he signed with them before the 2015 season.
Lester, who turns 37 in January, is sitting at 193 victories in a Hall of Fame-worthy career. He didn’t get the opportunity to pitch in front of the Wrigley Field faithful in 2020. It would a wonderful moment if he returned and earned his 200th win at Wrigley in 2021.
Of course, it takes two sides to agree to a deal. If the Cubs fall out of the mix, Lester has assured those close to him that he’ll pitch somewhere in 2021. He has something left in the tank, and he still wants the ball.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.