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Cubs starter and MLB’s favorite cowboy John Lackey is going to be a free agent next year. Now you may love his southern drawl or his incredibly huge teeth, but the Cubs shouldn’t ink him to a deal this offseason.
According to Baseball Reference, the 38-year-old currently has a 5.26 ERA, a WHIP of 1.381, and is a -0.2 WAR player. Those numbers don’t reflect the $16 million he’s making.
Despite this, Cubs fans seem to want to try to re-sign Lackey to a one or even two-year deal this offseason. I get that he’s a lovable guy and that if the offense supports him, they’ll win ballgames.
The thing is, the Cubs would benefit the most by letting him find another team to take him or having him retire, then having him take the bump in Cubbie blue another season.