MLB Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs Have Key Decision To Make On Whether To Top Boston’s Offer For Jon Lester

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Jon Lester

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It’s official: there’s an offer on the table for ace Jon Lester. Out of the many teams that are interested in his services, just one has made a formal offer that the baseball world knows of right now, and it may not be as high as many people thought it would be.

The Boston Red Sox have reportedly made a six-year, $110-120 million offer to Lester, which will remain on the table. Many thought if Lester got a six-year deal, it would be for at least $130 million. It’s a good bet that the Chicago Cubs thought the offer was going to be higher as well. That means they may have been prepared to offer even more money than they’ll need to.

That doesn’t mean the Cubs are guaranteed to land the coveted lefty, though. Lester has repeatedly said that he will go wherever makes his family the most happy, not wherever offers him the most money. Who knows if that’s the truth as most free agents claim the same thing, but in Lester’s case it seems genuine. However, if the Cubs offer a significant amount more, say $130 million over six years, it would be hard for him to turn down.

Now it comes down to if president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer want to spend the money to bring Lester to Chicago. If they want to, he could be theirs. If they get into a bidding war with the Red Sox or any other team, though, don’t expect them to land the lefty.

Unlike other teams in on Lester, the Cubs aren’t desperate to sign him because they likely won’t be competitive next season regardless. They know they’re going to be able to trade for an ace or sign one next offseason, so they’re not going to go all in on Lester. However, if they think they have a chance to land him at a reasonable price, they won’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Now the front office has a decision to make.

 

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