Chicago Cubs don’t need a blockbuster move to be ready for 2018

What should we expect from Lester moving forward?

When the Chicago Cubs recruited Jon Lester, he was pitched on the idea of bringing a title to Wrigley Field. And, less than two years after signing on the dotted line, he did just that.

Over the course of the 2016 campaign, the southpaw was one of the best pitchers in the game. He won 19 games for the second time in his career and finished second in NL Cy Young voting. That is due largely in-part to a 2.44 earned run average over the course of 202 2/3 innings.

You can’t ask for more than what Lester turned in.

But, call it what you want – a World Series hangover, the effects of a deep postseason – whatever it is, Lester struggled in a big way in 2017. His earned run average spiked by nearly two full runs (up from 2.44 to 4.33) and his strikeout-to-walk ratio was his worst since 2013.

If you look at ERA+, Lester was a league-average starter last season, despite his struggles (100 on the nose). In his All-Star 2016 campaign, by contrast, he clocked in at a 171 ERA+. I don’t expect him to ever put up another full season like he did as the team’s ace two years ago.

You already got what you’re paying Lester for – a World Series championship. Moving forward, he’ll be a mid-to-high 3.00 ERA pitcher who will get you 12 to 15 wins annually. If you ask me, that’s enough to get the Cubs back to the postseason again in 2018.