The Chicago Cubs are aggressively looking to add starting pitching in MLB Free Agency this offseason and one of their targets according to rumors is former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Lackey.
Adding a piece like Lackey would make a lot of sense due to the close friendship that he has with Jon Lester. He wouldn't be as expensive as a piece like David Price would be, but would still be an upgrade to their current rotation. Lackey dominated the Cubs in Game 1 of their NLDS series last season and still has another good season or two left.
There is no telling what kind of price tag Lackey has on his head, but the Cubs aren't going to be the only team interested in signing him.
St. Louis is known to want him back and after the season he had there will be others that come calling. Lackey would immediately slide into the No. 3 slot in the Cubs' rotation behind Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester, which would then bump Jason Hammel down to No. 4 and Kyle Hendricks down to No. 5. That rotation looks much more dangerous that the group that the Cubs had to work with this season.
During the 2015 season with the Cardinals, Lackey ended up with a 13-10 record to go along with a 2.77 ERA. Those numbers show how consistent he was throughout the season.
At 37 years old, the Cubs would be adding important veteran experience to the roster as well. Theo Epstein knows that bringing in veteran leadership is very important to mix with the group of young talent that they have. Lackey would take on a clubhouse leadership role in particular, which would be a big help for them.
Chicago is looking at plenty more options than just Lackey, but he is one of the more intriguing names that has come up.
Expect to hear more rumors swirling about the Cubs moving forward and don't be surprised to hear more about the Cubs' interest in him.
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