The Cubs have officially declined Jon Lester’s $25 million option for 2021 on Friday, leaving them on the hook for a $10 million buyout that has already counted toward their competitive balance tax payroll figures the last six seasons. In what felt like a ceremonial goodbye, Lester offered to buy a Miller Lite for anyone who went to one of a handful of Chicago bars and asked to put it on Jon’s tab.
No word on whether the Tribune’s Phil Rogers bitched about not getting a shot to go along with it. The possibility exists that the team and the venerable southpaw can work out a new deal, perhaps with a salary structure similar to what Adam Wainwright had with the Cardinals in 2019.