The Jon Lester Signs w/ Cubs - 6 yrs/$155 Million

[RammyFanny]

According to 14yo internet troll...

 

Jake Wesley MLB @mlb_nl_al · 14m 14 minutes ago

UPDATE: since hearing Red Sox 6/130 offer to Lester, Cubs have topped offer. Don't think sox want to negotiate.

 

 

 

This kid supposedly had the Hanley or Panda deals before anyone, correct?

 

Yes. He's from outside of St. Louis, but apparently has some contact in the Red Sox FO.

He keeps claiming that he had the Hanley deal but another rando had it first and this kid checked with him before posting about it. The other rando was legit but clearly knew someone within a certain agency as all of his scoops involved that agency.

 

I believe the kid did have the Panda thing, but he was supposed to sign early in the week and there were the airport rumors so an educated guess is possible. He has also reported Twins as leader for Tori Hunter which has since been confirmed but I don't know if that was common knowledge or not. I'm 50/50 on whether he's full of [expletive] or not. Christopher Meola was the name of the guy who had the Hanley and Stanton details first, but I think it's via a specific agency.

[Rob]

Plus, there haven't really been any strong Scherzer rumors with anybody yet. Some hints that the Yankees may be lying in wait (but similar things have been said about the Cubs by random national media types), and that the Nationals may trade a guy to sign him, but no major smoke yet.

 

It's a Boras thing, probably. He loves to wait on the market for the top guys.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

boras is waiting for lester's contract so he can demand more than whatever it is

[UMFan83]

David Kaplan

@thekapman

Three MLB sources this afternoon tell me Lester likes Cubs and Chicago a lot but all 3 would be surprised if he didn't go back to Boston.

 

David Kaplan

@thekapman

Just to be clear on Jon Lester. Good source says #Cubs made significant offer. 2nd source says $ not big factor for Lester. May be less.

[jersey cubs fan]

David Kaplan

@thekapman

Three MLB sources this afternoon tell me Lester likes Cubs and Chicago a lot but all 3 would be surprised if he didn't go back to Boston.

 

David Kaplan

@thekapman

Just to be clear on Jon Lester. Good source says #Cubs made significant offer. 2nd source says $ not big factor for Lester. May be less.

 

okay theo we get it, you guys tried. call off your dog

[TruffleShuffle]

Kaplan is a Cubs mouthpiece. Wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs leaked this to him so that it softens the blow that he's returning to Boston

 

never go full kyle.

[Guest]

yeah i had a feeling you were right about it being an intentional leak for PR

[Guest]

That said, I take all reports of "money not a big deal" or it not being the number one factor with a grain of salt. Believe that when I see it.

[UMFan83]

Looks like the Lester saga is going to drag on for awhile:

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11938036/free-agent-left-hander-jon-lester-san-francisco-giants-meet

 

Free-agent left-hander Jon Lester has plans to meet with the San Francisco Giants next week, a source told ESPN Baseball Insider Jim Bowden.

[UMFan83]

Levine says we are still in it per this article posted 5 minutes ago:

 

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/11/25/levine-cubs-still-in-hunt-for-jon-lester/

 

The Chicago Cubs are still in the hunt for the services of free agent pitcher Jon Lester. A source with first-hand knowledge of the teams and negotiations involved told CBSChicago.com that there is still time in the process for all the clubs bidding on the left-handed pitcher.

“I can tell you the Cubs have been on top of this situation since the beginning,” said the industry source. “They have not gone away.”

The insider refused to predict where Lester would wind up, but he did confirm that the salary of the contract could surpass $25 million per season. Lester, along with Max Scherzer, are the premier free agent pitchers on the market (James Shields is third). The two 30-year-old pitchers and their agents will dictate where the market for number one starters goes this off season.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Kaplan is a Cubs mouthpiece. Wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs leaked this to him so that it softens the blow that he's returning to Boston

 

never go full kyle.

 

By being right? Because he's right. Is that what we're calling Full Kyle now?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Using my magical offseason rumor divination skills, if feels like Lester has his mind made up on Boston and is floating whatever he can to try to squeeze a bit more money out of them. "Oh man, guys, I love Chicago. I'm totally going to go visit San Francisco now."

 

Another Sanchez situation.

[Guest]

a lot of local guys coming out with some combination of "the cubs offered a lot" "the red sox offered less" "the red sox are favorites" or all of the above right now

[UMFan83]

No news for a week and then all the sudden all the local beat guys have new info? hmmm

 

George Ofman

@georgeofman

Interesting to not the Cubs offer to Lester. Told Redsox offered 6 years between $130 and $135.

[bukie]

Kaplan is a Cubs mouthpiece. Wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs leaked this to him so that it softens the blow that he's returning to Boston

 

never go full kyle.

 

By being right? Because he's right. Is that what we're calling Full Kyle now?

No, going full kyle is making projections off baseless assumptions and calling it 'logic'.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Kaplan is a Cubs mouthpiece. Wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs leaked this to him so that it softens the blow that he's returning to Boston

 

never go full kyle.

 

By being right? Because he's right. Is that what we're calling Full Kyle now?

No, going full kyle is making projections off baseless assumptions and calling it 'logic'.

 

The assumptions are never baseless. You just disagree with them.

[Guest]

Theo and the Ricketts will need to have answers if they continue to whiff on targets. They've missed on every impact FA player they've targeted.

 

I still think Lester will be a Cub at the end of this process. He's too important for them to come in second AGAIN and they have to know that.

[UMFan83]

Theo and the Ricketts will need to have answers if they continue to whiff on targets. They've missed on every impact FA player they've targeted.

 

I still think Lester will be a Cub at the end of this process. He's too important for them to come in second AGAIN and they have to know that.

 

I'm not discounting him signing with the Cubs but I'm not sure about the logic. The FO has shown time and time again that they are sticking to their plan, which includes not overpaying their predetermined price for FAs. If another team pays more than they want to they will let him go.

 

To add to that, they've pretty much set the expectations that this year will be an improvement but 2016 is the year they target to seriously contend. Next years FA pitching is even better than this years. They won't have a problem letting Lester go, signing a middle of the road FA starter with value and then go after Price or Zimmerman next year.

[Vinestal]

Theo and the Ricketts will need to have answers if they continue to whiff on targets. They've missed on every impact FA player they've targeted.

 

I still think Lester will be a Cub at the end of this process. He's too important for them to come in second AGAIN and they have to know that.

 

I'm not discounting him signing with the Cubs but I'm not sure about the logic. The FO has shown time and time again that they are sticking to their plan, which includes not overpaying their predetermined price for FAs. If another team pays more than they want to they will let him go.

 

To add to that, they've pretty much set the expectations that this year will be an improvement but 2016 is the year they target to seriously contend. Next years FA pitching is even better than this years. They won't have a problem letting Lester go, signing a middle of the road FA starter with value and then go after Price or Zimmerman next year.

 

If they go into 2016 with the same "plan" to pay only their price for free agents they won't sign any of the premium starters then either.

[WrigleyField 22]

Doesn't FA usually look better a year out before guys sign extensions?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RammyFanny]

Doesn't FA usually look better a year out before guys sign extensions?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Usually but almost every one of the FAs have trade rumors surrounding them which pretty much means their team's know they are hitting FA. And these guys are so good that they'd be pretty dumb to pass on FA this close to it unless it's a completely insane deal.

[WrigleyField 22]

So one this year and one next sounds perfect

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Deeg]

People really need to stop saying "next year's FA class is..." as an excuse for the Cubs to kick the can. We have no idea what next year's FA class will be yet, and they're never as good as they look a year out. But whatever it is, it will likely feature contending with the Yankees and Dodgers for the best names in it.

[Vinestal]

Gordon Wittenmyer ‏@GDubCub 3m3 minutes ago

Source: Report that Cubs offered Lester a six-year deal of more than $135m is "not accurate."

[Butterscup1679666578]

David Kaplan ‏@thekapman 10m10 minutes ago

Latest on Lester: Solid east coast non-team source told me Cubs being very aggressive (135+). Team has been in radio silence... Won't talk.