Lester headed to Washington
Jon Lester reportedly signed a one-year contract with the Nationals. No terms were disclosed on the deal, which has a mutual option.
Lester joins former teammate Kyle Schwarber, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Nats last week.
The 37-year-old left-hander has pitched 15 big-league seasons, including the last six with the Cubs. He went 77-44 with a 3.64 ERA with the Cubs, including 19-5 (2.44 ERA) in the World Series-winning season of 2016 in which he finished as runner-up for the Cy Young Award to Max Scherzer, now his teammate in Washington.
♦ Right-hander Tyler Chatwood reportedly agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Blue Jays. Chatwood, 30, finished 2-2 with a 5.30 ERA and 25 strikeouts in five starts with the Cubs last season before missing the second half with a forearm strain. In three seasons with the Cubs, Chatwood compiled a 4.70 ERA in 67 appearances (30 starts).
♦ Mets general manager Jared Porter acknowledged sending explicit, unsolicited texts and images to a female reporter while working as the Cubs’ director of professional scouting in 2016, according to a copy of the text history obtained by ESPN. Porter, 41, who was hired as Mets GM on Dec. 13, apologized to the woman in 2016 by text.
♦ The Padres are in agreement on a deal to acquire right-hander Joe Musgrove from the Pirates. Musgrove, 28, was 1-5 with a 3.86 ERA in eight starts for the Pirates in the shortened 2020 season.