Cubs add veteran Lackey with 2-year deal
The Chicago Cubs officially bolstered their rotation Tuesday, wresting away free-agent pitcher John Lackey from their longtime rivals with a two-year deal worth $32 million.
The big signing represents a sizable raise for the veteran right-hander, who was a revelation last season pitching on a major-league minimum salary for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Pitching for the NL Central champions, the 37-year-old Lackey fashioned a career-best 2.77 ERA (143 ERA+) with a 1.21 WHIP over 218 innings, his most since 2007.
Lackey joins a Cubs team that eliminated his former employer in the NLDS in four games. Flanked by Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, and high-priced lefty Jon Lester, the Cubs now boast one of the top trios in all of baseball.
2016 PROJECTED ROTATION
| Pitcher | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Arrieta | 229 | 1.77 | 0.86 | 9.28 | 7.3 |
| Jon Lester | 205 | 3.34 | 1.12 | 9.09 | 5.0 |
| John Lackey | 218 | 2.77 | 1.21 | 7.22 | 3.6 |
| Kyle Hendricks | 180 | 3.95 | 1.16 | 8.35 | 3.4 |
| Jason Hammel | 170.2 | 3.74 | 1.16 | 9.07 | 2.4 |
Though the move reunites Lackey with Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, from their days together in Boston, it also comes at a cost for the Cubs.
Lackey is attached to draft-pick compensation after he rejected the Cardinals' one-year, $15.8-million qualifying offer last month.
The Cubs' first-round selection next June is not protected after they won 97 games this season, meaning they'll lose the 28th pick in the draft for signing Lackey. They're expected to recoup that pick, however, in the compensatory round, provided Dexter Fowler is signed by another club.