Come to the Cubs, the miracle worker named Theo Epstein told Jon Lester when they sat down last December to discuss the possibility of reprising what was once a beautiful relationship in Boston. We have seen the future, and we’re going to be really good.
But when, Exalted Oracle, Lester inquired, weighing the specter of pitching at Wrigley Field, for a team that won 73 games in 2014, finished last in the National League’s most formidable division and had never been adept at convincing a devoted fan base that prosperity was only a spring training away.
“I didn’t want to go through another down year and worry about rebuilding for next year,” Lester said.