If Jon Lester has started his last game at Wrigley Field for the Cubs — something that’s not written in stone — he leaves a rich legacy.
When Sun-Times Cubs reporter Russell Dorsey suggested Lester might be the best free-agent signing in Chicago sports history, it was with cause. Signed to anchor a pitching staff when the Cubs’ crew of up-and-comers were all position players, Lester was a huge part of three NLCS appearances and a World Series championship in his first three seasons with the team.
Who else could contend as best free agent? This isn’t hockey by the numbers, so let’s give a passing nod to the Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa before glancing at numbers for four baseball contenders.