The Jon Lester Invitational came to an end early Wednesday when the Chicago Cubs signed him to a reported six-year deal.
Now what?
We’ve heard all along that Lester was going to set off a flurry of moves, and after baseball’s power brokers get a little bit of shut-eye in San Diego, expect business to really pick up at the MLB winter meetings.
Here’s how the signing might affect some of the other teams and players across the league.
Players
James Shields, Max Scherzer — The market has been set. Many saw Lester as the No. 2 starting pitching option on the open market, sandwiched between Scherzer at the top and Shields just below. We’ve heard all week about how these pitchers — and the rest of a fairly strong pitching market — would fall into place, and we should see that soon. The Tigers reportedly are going to make a huge push for Scherzer, but he’s been linked to a handful of teams. On the Shields front, does he become the second option for the Red Sox? Or would they shy away from a big contract for a pitcher who’s older than Lester and has a lot of miles on his arm?
Cole Hamels — The Red Sox’s and Phillies’ reported flirtation over the last few months has been covered all over the place. Now, you have to imagine acquiring Hamels is somewhere in Boston’s backup plan. The price to acquire Hamels is two-fold, though. He still has potentially five years and $110 million left on his contract, and you obviously have to give up something to get him in a trade. Furthermore, the Phillies might have some added leverage now that the Red Sox need pitching.
Yoenis Cespedes — It’s becoming more and more evident that Cespedes won’t be a member of the Red Sox when the season starts. Boston has approximately 63 outfielders, and Cespedes — who’s a legit power threat entering the final year of his contract — might be their best non-prospect trading chip. There are plenty of teams looking for outfielders who can hit.
Every other free agent/trade chip — Finally, the dominoes will start to fall. Pretty much good news for everyone who’s uncertain where they’ll start next season.
Teams
Red Sox — You wonder, given reported details about the Lester sweepstakes, whether the Sox really were that interested in signing Lester. It wouldn’t be the strangest thing. They had to know the price was going to be bonkers and for better or worse, a Lester-type contract seems to go against their philosophy. The thing is, of course, Clay Buchholz probably is the team’s opening day starter at the moment. That’s not ideal. There are plenty of options — and the Red Sox have plenty of chips to make a trade — but Boston certainly needs to do something to bolster its staff.
Cardinals — What does St. Louis do now that it has legitimate competition in National League Central? The Cubs’ overhaul is evident, and don’t forget about the Pirates bringing back Francisco Liriano and A.J. Burnett. Maybe the Cards go out and get themselves a pitcher. Do they go all in on Scherzer? Maybe look at someone like Jake Peavy, who they’ve reportedly coveted in the past?
Cubs — If the Cubs are serious about contending and contending now, there are still areas they need to address. They could use another starter, even if Jake Arrieta is serviceable as a No. 2, and some bullpen help.
Giants — San Francisco won the World Series, so that’s cool. But it’s been all downhill since then, as the Giants not only lost their starting third baseman, but they lost out on Lester, too. The Giants appeared to put everything else on hold while chasing down the lefty, so now you have to figure they’re going to start getting busy with other things.
Yankees —Â They could really put the pressure on the Red Sox if they decide to get in on Shields and/or Scherzer.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
