#Chicago Cubs rumors about a possible #Jon Lester trade are getting discussed by a lot of baseball fans on social media. Lester could bring the Cubs several assets if the team decided to deal him before the MLB trade deadline at the end of July, but would the front office really admit that they don't have a chance to make the postseason? Is now the time to make a move to try to re-tool for the 2018 MLB season?
The Chicago Cubs have a 42-43 record and are seven games behind the surprising Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. The Brewers have raced out to a 48-40 record this season and are clearly playing much better than most of the MLB experts had predicted.
That includes destroying the Cubs on July 6 with an 11-2 game that has to have Cubs fans wondering if the 2017 season was a fluke.
What about Jon Lester's contract?
Jon Lester's contract still has four more years left on it, scheduled to pay him $27.5 million in 2018 and 2019, $20 million in 2020, and then $25 million in a team option for 2021. That's a lot of money for another team to absorb, but the Chicago Cubs might be able to convince the New York Yankees to make that deal. The Yankees are also in desperate need of pitching and could be willing to offer up some nice prospects to acquire Lester.
In 18 starts this season, Jon Lester is 5-5 with a 3.94 ERA for the Chicago Cubs. His WHIP is up to 1.267 and he continues to have a hard time holding runners at first base.
The struggles are real for the four-time All-Star starting pitcher, but he is still performing better than league average at the position. This means he has a lot of value on the trade market, even if that huge contract sis still attached to him.
Can the Chicago Cubs still make the MLB Playoffs?
In addition to Chicago Cubs rumors about the team parting withs some veterans, there is also a lot of chatter about the team looking to acquire pieces before the MLB trade deadline.
Two pitchers who are available are Sonny Gray of the Oakland Athletics and Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers. Both veteran pitchers are getting shopped around the league by their respective teams, but are they good enough to put the Cubs over that bump and back into the postseason?
The Cubs really need to finish this weekend strong with a good series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sweeping the Pirates and heading into the All-Star break with a 45-43 record could really help the team build up a lot of momentum during the second half of the season. That's a requirement if the team is going to silence the Chicago Cubs rumors about shipping out veterans and create more rumors about acquiring talent.
