It was just your ordinary Tuesday night. I was up late, studying for my religion final that I would be taking the next day and completing a 5-page paper for the class. It was 12:30 AM. Things were quiet, most of my hall had gone to bed and had to get up early for finals the next morning. For the week of finals, my school implements a strict "24-hour quiet hours." I was beginning to grow tired. And then I looked at my phone.
I see the words:
"Cubs agree to deal with Jon Lester."
I immediately begin to yell and run up and down the halls.
"THE CUBS GOT LESTER! WE GOT LESTER! OHOHOH YESSSSSSSS!!!!!"
These were just a few of things that could be heard from any part of the third floor of Denhart. I then proceeded to find my buddy on the floor that is a fellow Cubs die-hard fan. I go up to his door and loudly say his name. I hear in a very groggy voice, "what?" followed by a "Hell yeah. It's a great night to be a Cubs fan," upon my sharing of the good news.
It was a great night to be a Cubs fan. The excitement I felt ignited a spark in me to stay up for another two hours, finish my paper, and cram for my final. Now that my finals are over, I finally have time to break down this huge news.
Two months ago, I had a dream that it was Opening Day at Wrigley Field. As I was watching the Cubs' starting lineup take the field. Two things immediately caught my eye. The first was that Starlin Castro was no longer a member of the team, and the second was that Jon Lester was on the bump for us.
While Castro's future with the Cubs is still unclear, the second part of my dream came true on Tuesday night. Jon Lester and the Cubs agreed to a 6-year $155 million deal, and the fan base now has the most optimism its had since 2008. Facebook and Twitter were buzzing with excitement, with many fans pointing to the fact that the Cubs win the World Series in the year 2015 in Back to the Future Part II, which my friend Krystal first pointed out to me this past summer.
In Vegas, the Cubs now have the fifth highest odds to win the World Series.
So where is all this excitement coming from?
It's a culmination of surprise, prosperity, and hope. Many thought that Lester would show loyalty to Boston, who shipped him away to Oakland for Yoenis Céspedes this past summer, and continually low-balled him when they were negotiating a contract extension with a guy who helped them win two World Series'. If he wasn't going to Boston, he was surely staying in the Bay Area, going to San Francisco, and forming a nearly unstoppable pitching rotation with the likes of Madison Bumgarner and Jake Peavy. If he were to go elsewhere, it would certainly be Los Angeles, where he could form a similar tandem with reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. But there was no way he would go to the Cubs, a team that hasn't won more than 73 games since 2010, was there?
Wrong. Lester chose a "cursed" franchise over the sexy options. And now the Cubs have a big-time pitcher that can pitch big-time games for them and a clear ace. Many people think that the Cubs' overpaid for Lester, whose 2.46 ERA was not only the lowest of his career, but the only sub-3 ERA that he has posted in his career. While perhaps they did overpay, keep in mind that there is no salary cap in baseball. Overpaying someone isn't quite the crime that it is in the NBA or the NFL. Also remember that there are very few players on the Cubs' roster that are making very much. The team is so young, a majority of the guys are still on their rookie contracts. So the Cubs have money to spend.
While Lester may or may not be elite, he is very good. The Cubs need pitching and he was the best option they had. He is what the Cubs need: a big-time pitcher.
It's also worth noting that a month ago they added a big-time manager with the signing of Joe Maddon, a goofy, fun-loving manager that is known for doing all that he can to keep his players loose and having fun while playing the game they love. Every day Maddon writes on his lineup card, "Never permit pressure to exceed pleasure." Maddon also did his own version of Allen Iverson's famous practice incident.
But my favorite Maddon moment was when his team was in a slump, and he decided to model his batting order after Tommy Tutone's 867-5309. Maddon has taken many under-talented, underdog teams much deeper in the playoffs than they really should go. And I have no reason to believe that he won't do the same with a young Cubs team.
As a Cubs fan, I believe in this team, and I think we can go all the way. However, looking at things objectively, I don't think that the World Series is the goal for the 2015 Cubs. That would be an unfair amount of pressure to put on such a young team. But I think this is about speeding up the rebuilding process. The rebuilding process is over and the Cubs are going to be contending for a NL Central division title sooner than you think.
The rebuilding process is over. The 2014 season was the last season of gutting the team. The Cubs now have the right building blocks in place to start competing. There was a stretch between August and early September where the Cubs were the best team in the central and the scariest to play. On September 1, the Brewers were tied in first place with the Cardinals. The Cubs then swept the Brewers and the Cards took a three game lead, this would eventually prove to be fatal for the Brewers' season.
On the same day that the Cubs added Lester, they also added two-time all-star, veteran catcher Miguel Montero from Arizona. Montero will provide good veteran leadership for a young team that needs a veteran catcher. A catcher's job is to call the game, and Montero's presence in the locker room will be a nice addition. He's also an upgrade over Wellington Castillo both offensively and defensively.
Also on Tuesday, the Cubs brought back pitcher Jason Hammel, who posted a 2.98 ERA with the Cubs in 2013 before being dealt to Oakland in the Jeff Samardzija deal in July. Speaking of that trade, who won that deal? The Cubs now have Hammel, Addison Russell, Billy McKinney, and Lester all from Oakland. Meanwhile, Samardzija will be pitching for the White Sox next year.
Which brings me to my next thought. Many will look at the Lester signing as the Cubs' last move. However, I see it as just the beginning. As I alluded to earlier, the signing of a big-ticket free agent shows that we are getting ready to compete. The Cubs could add another bat or another top-notch starting pitcher. Honestly, I would be shocked if the Cubs do not make another splash. Now, that splash doesn't have to take place this winter. Next winter, David Price and Samardzija will both be out on the open market. Could we see a Samardzija return, or a Joe Maddon-David Price reunion in Chicago?
I don't know. But what I do now is that Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein have the Cubs on the right track. This has been a very prosperous off-season, and it gives us fans, great hope for what is to come in the coming years.
Cubs fans will not have to be patient for very much longer because the future is now. Expect the Cubs' to break .500 for the first time since 2009 and compete for a Wild Card. And as we enter in to this new era, remember that every night is a great night to be a Cubs fan.
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