Jon Lester Agrees to $155 million contract with the Chicago Cubs
Pitcher Jon Lester agreed to a six-year, $155 million contract, with the Chicago Cubs Tuesday night, his agent Seth Levinson said.
Lester, who has played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston red Sox from 2006 to 2014 and with the Oakland Athletics in 2014, is currently a free agent.
The deal was finalised on the second day of baseball's winter meetings and the contract also contains an option for 2021 which, if guaranteed, would make the deal a huge $170 million over the course of seven seasons.
Lester's average annual value of $25.8 million makes him the second-highest paid pitcher, the first being Clayton Kershaw's $30.7 million. Kershaw's seven-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers began early this year. His total salary for the seven seasons is $215 million, ABC News reports.
Lester will reunite with Chicago Cubs President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer, with whom he had worked during his time in Boston.
The new manager for the Cubs, Joe Maddon, said that Lester's choice was "exciting".
"It's not often you get to win the lottery.We won the baseball lottery so far this year. Now it's up to us to put it into effect," said Maddon, ESPN reports.
Maddon signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Cubs in October.
The team is full of young stars like Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro, Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, Javier Baez, and Addison Russell.
The left-hander is due to turn 31 next month. He has won two World Series titles while his stint with Bostons. Lester rejected a four-year extension for about $70 million from the Red Sox last spring.
