Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester will officially be leaving the team in free agency. While Lester showed interest in retiring as a Cub, the team would not match the offers he was getting elsewhere, and he ended up taking a one year deal with the Washington Nationals.
After being considered contenders for the better part of the past six years, the Cubs are heading down a different route. Call it a rebuild, call it a retool, call it whatever you want. But the Cubs have now lost Yu Darvish, Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester, and have made it clear to other teams that anyone on their roster is on the table via trade.
Needless to say, Cubs fan aren’t happy with the team’s change in direction. They aren’t happy that Jon Lester was let go, and they aren’t happy their big market team is suddenly acting like they need to sell off quality talent.
Fans took to social media to lash out against the Cubs ownership after it was announced that Lester would be signing in Washington.
Jon Lester signing with the Nationals and not finishing his career with the Cubs is sad.
Cubs re-signing Jon Lester for 2021+ wasn't exactly making anything better for the team.
There are a lot of emotions stirring around and yeah, things stink for the Cubs right now.
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) January 19, 2021
https://twitter.com/PercyFallon24/status/1351345608431460358
Jon Lester even said he wanted to come back to the #Cubs for his 200th win, and this organization low balled him. It’s sad how we’re treating living legends.
— Parth (@teamparth) January 19, 2021
Beyond disappointing the Cubs offer to Jon Lester came very late in the process and was not close to the money the Washington Nationals offered. That is not how you take care of the greatest free agent signing in team history and one of the two best in Chicago sports history.
— David Kaplan (@thekapman) January 19, 2021
Listen, I was prepared for Lester to not be on the Cubs because he was retiring, but this? This hurts.
Schwarber and Lester and Davey and Starlin all in D.C. https://t.co/HhEDRf4HRQ
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) January 19, 2021
Gonna miss Jon Lester in a @Cubs uniform. That 2016 World Series ends up somewhere else without him in the organization. Probably the best FA signing in Cubs history.
— Jared Green (@JaredGreen01) January 19, 2021
I'm absolutely furious that neither the Red Sox nor the Cubs appreciate their fan bases enough to sign Jon Lester to a one year deal.
— Sara Sanchez (@BCB_Sara) January 19, 2021
So the Cubs let Jon Lester, arguably the best free-agent signing in team history, move on to the Nationals. Jed Hoyer’s first three major decisions as prez— Schwarber, Darvish and Lester —reveal a team committed to rebuilding regardless of what they call it. Buckle up, Cubs fans.
— David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) January 19, 2021
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Jon Lester leaving is the latest piece of an extremely disappointing offseason for Cubs fans, and the hits keep coming. Don’t be surprised to see Willson Contreras or Kris Bryant be the next domino to fall in what’s shaping up to be a complete overhaul for a Cubs core that broke a 108-year championship drought in 2016.
Lester was a big part of that championship, and he’ll be a legend in Chicago forever. Best of luck in Washington, Jon.
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