Says Bob Nightengale in USA Today:
Jon Lester, one of the greatest free-agent signings in Cubs history, was supposed to leave Chicago on his terms, pitching at least one final season, winning his 200th game in a Cubs uniform.
That’s all he wanted, pitching one season at Wrigley Field in front of fans, and not cardboard cut-outs, with his career disappearing into the night. Instead, his friends will tell you, he is left a bit scorned and brokenhearted.
Just two months after Lester spent $47,000 buying the city of Chicago beers in four local bars and taverns, the Cubs couldn’t even reciprocate, making only a last-minute minimal offer.
Lester, 37, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Nationals that will pay him $2 million in 2021, with the remaining $3 million paid as a signing bonus in 2023.
Jon Lester helped change the #Cubs culture, won a World Series, even bought beer for everyone in town, but instead of finishing his career in Chicago, he was shown the door. Here’s the thoughts of other pitching greats who experienced a similar fate. https://t.co/hSGraH10Wt
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 22, 2021
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