Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Jon Lester was introduced to the media by
the Chicago Cubs on Monday.
Lester agreed to terms on a six-year contract reportedly worth $155 million.
The deal includes a vesting option for the 2021 season.
“I got a good sense of how crazy these fans are about their Cubs baseball,”
Lester said at a downtown Chicago press conference. “It’s a huge honor to be
part of this organization. We fully buy in, and we take on the responsibility
of trying to bring this city a World Series.”
The 30-year-old Lester went 6-4 with a 2.35 earned run average for the
Oakland Athletics after he and outfielder Jonny Gomes were acquired in a
blockbuster trade-deadline swap from the Red Sox for outfielder Yoenis
Cespedes.
Lester is most known for his prowess in the postseason, where he is 6-4 with
2.57 ERA in 14 career appearances (12 starts), including a perfect 3-0
mark with a sparkling 0.43 ERA in the World Series.
Lester has a 116-67 record with a 3.58 ERA over his nine-year career.
He turned down a $70 million contract extension from Boston during the spring,
the team which he helped win two World Series titles (2007, 2013).
“This signing really marks a transition of sorts for the Cubs, the start of a
period where we are clearly very serious about bringing a World Series to the
Cubs and the people of Chicago,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein
said. “It’s a great day for our fans. They’ve been so patient with us,
incredibly patient, over the last few years and they truly deserve a pitcher
and a person of this caliber to call their own.”
