Explore sports news

Baseball
5 min read
0

Jon Lester Could Fit Perfect With the Giants

The San Francisco Giants are entering the 2020 MLB offseason with a few goals in mind. One of those goals could be acquiring more starting pitching. Could Jon Lester potentially be a target for the franchise?

Lester is coming off of a successful tenure with the Chicago Cubs. He was able to help lead the Cubs to a World Series win back in 2016 and was a leader in the clubhouse with Chicago. Now, he is a free agent and it appears a return to Chicago is unlikely.

Assuming he does end up leaving the Cubs, the Giants would make a lot of sense as a potential landing spot. Back in 2014, the Giants were one of the teams that pursued Lester in free agency, however, he ended up choosing the Cubs.

Last season with the Cubs, Jon Lester ended up compiling a 3-3 record in 12 starts. He also had a 5.16 ERA, which is not the kind of production that Lester has been known for throughout his career. At 36 years old, Lester is in the final stage of his career and a team like the Giants could sign him to a team-friendly contract.

Why Jon Lester To The Giants Makes Sense

Bleacher Report certainly thinks that Lester to the Giants makes sense. Here is some of their explanation for why the two sides could come together in free agency.

The Giants nearly snuck into the extended playoffs this past season, and they"ll need to add to their rotation to get past the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the NL West. Lester might be coming off a down season, but he would still bring championship pedigree to a young club and some swagger.

On the outside looking in, the Giants do not look like a World Series contender in 2021. They do still have some valuable pieces, but they need to add a lot more. If there is one thing that they have shown over the years, it is that they are willing to spend money to win.

They could certainly use some more offensive firepower, however, starting pitching might be their biggest need. Lester is no longer a number one ace, but he is capable of being a solid third arm in a rotation.

Plenty of other teams are going to line up with interest in signing Jon Lester. He may not be the player he once was, but he is still a valuable pitcher to have.

Among the other teams interested could be the Cubs, Atlanta Braves, and the New York Yankees. All three of those teams could offer Lester and increase their chances to compete for a championship, despite this, the lure of playing on the west coast could be intriguing to the veteran pitcher as well.

Expect to hear quite a few rumors surrounding Jon Lester this offseason. The Giants may not end up landing him, but they certainly would make sense should they choose to pursue him.

Have a baseball lover that you need to get a gift for? Check out our partner at Dugout Mugs! Create a personalized mug made out of the barrel of a bat. Great for any baseball fan, or, let’s be honest, yourself!

Follow me on Twitter at @massey_evan for more of my content! Don’t forget to join our OT Heroics MLB Facebook group, and feel free to join our new Instagram –  @overtimeheroics_MLB. We’ll see ya there!

main image credit Embed from Getty Images

Subscribe to our newsletter

Receive the latest sports news, exclusive stories, and updates. Stay Up-to-Date!