AP source: Jon Lester, Cubs agree to $155M deal

Pitcher Jon Lester agreed Tuesday night to a $155 million, six-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, a person familiar with the negotiations said, the first big deal of the offseason involving a top-level starting pitcher. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. Lester’s contract, agreed to on the second day of baseball’s winter meetings, contains an option for 2021 that would make the deal worth $170 million over seven seasons. The average annual value of $25.8 million is the second-highest for a pitcher behind Clayton Kershaw’s $30.7 million as part of a $215 million, seven-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that began this year. A three-time All-Star, Lester turns 31 next month. – Associated Press