WASHINGTON – Left-handed starter Jon Lester and the Washington Nationals finalized a $5 million, one-year contract Wednesday, giving the team a fourth member of a rotation led by Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin.
Lester and the team had an agreement in principle in place last week, pending the successful completion of a physical exam. The five-time All-Star and Nationals manager Dave Martinez know each other well: Martinez was the bench coach for the Chicago Cubs when Lester helped that club win the 2016 World Series for its first title in 108 years.
Coming off a last-place finish in the NL East in 2020, Washington has had a busy offseason that already includes adding outfielder Kyle Schwarber — like Lester, from the Cubs