Longtime Red Sox and Cubs ace Jon Lester announces retirement

Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs legend Jon Lester has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

Lester, who just turned 38 on January 7, will retire with a 200-117 record to go with a 3.66 career ERA and almost 2,500 strikeouts.

A five-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion, Jon Lester ended his 16-year career having played for five different teams, including a dominant run as both a Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs ace.

He will close the book on his storied career as a former postseason series MVP, NL wins leader, and one of the few pitchers in Major League Baseball history to have thrown a no-hitter.

Jon Lester was drafted in the second round of the MLB draft all the way back in 2002 by the Red Sox. After spending only a few seasons in the minors, he made his debut in 2006 at just 22 years of age, making 15 starts, going 7-2, and pitching 80 innings. Injuries kept him down in 2007, but the southpaw went on to make 30-plus starts in every season from 2008 to 2019.

In 2014, the Red Sox traded Lester to the Oakland Athletics along with Jonny Gomes in exchange for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. Lester made 11 starts down the stretch for Oakland, as well as being selected as the starter for the AL Wild Card game that the A’s lost to Kansas City in 12 innings. Lester’s Oakland A’s career consisted of just those 12 games, ultimately finishing with a 6-4 record, a 2.35 ERA, and 71 strikeouts against just 16 walks.

In the 2014-15 offseason, Jon Lester signed a huge six-year, $155 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, immediately slotting in to the top of the Cubs’ rotation. He went on to appear in parts of six seasons for Chicago, putting up a stretch of solid performances that nearly matched his successes in Boston.

One of those seasons in Chicago (2016) saw Jon Lester win his third World Series ring, as the Cubs broke their seemingly endless curse on the shoulders of Lester, who finished the campaign with a career high 19 wins — good for first in the National League — a 2.44 ERA, two complete games, and an 8.7 SO/9. The Tacoma, Wash., native continued his success in the postseason, finishing 2016 with a 3-1 record, striking out 30 against just six walks, winning the NLCS MVP along the way.

Lester wrapped up his Cubs career with a 77-44 record and a 3.64 ERA (strangely enough, the exact same as his Red Sox ERA) across 171 starts and more than 1,000 innings. His 8.4 SO/9 across those six seasons is the highest he had with any team in his career. He will undoubtedly go down as one of the best free agent signings in Cubs history.

Jon Lester began the 2021 season with the Washington Nationals and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals at the deadline, ultimately putting up one of his worst seasons in his career, a sign that his age may have been catching up to him.

Jon Lester has announced his retirement from the game. He will finish his 16-year career as one of the best pitchers in Red Sox and Cubs history as he won three World Series championships, threw a no-hitter, and finished his storied career with 200 wins and almost 2,500 strikeouts.

Congratulations on an excellent career from all of us over at Call to the Pen, Jon.