When the Cubs signed Alex Bregman, I immediately thought about when they landed Jon Lester 12 years earlier. Okay, my immediate thought was “Holy shit!” But after giving the move a little time to marinate, it became clear that the deals are similar in terms of establishing the Cubs’ legitimacy as contenders for both big free agents and the NL pennant. There’s also something to be said for both players being paid for their intrinsic qualities as much as their performance.
Lester was just about to turn 31 when he joined a Cubs team that had been downright bad for several seasons, providing a veteran presence to a team that hadn’t yet learned how to win.