I read this days ago. I didnt post it because it is not that credible. It just seems like random talk. I do think the cubs will go after Lester over anyone, but I dont put much importance on a couple of ex teammates, who they dont name, to have some sort of insider knowledge. Lester doesnt have an idea where he will go.
I figured some might not have caught it and some would want to read it whether or not it was "credible." In all honesty, my personal feeling is they are going to try and trade for a young type tier starter. I'm not going to shove the idea down people's throats because I've already mentioned concerns about Baez. Perhaps I've done that with some things(Baez at 3B, Alcantara in general) but I'm trying not to go over zealous on stuff though I admit I can go hard on issues I feel strongly about.
Overall though, they have so much talent in the minors hitting wise that eventually some of it's going to have to be moved. Rizzo's easily made Vogelbach expendable at this point given he's 3 years older and on pace for likely a 5 fWAR season. If we presume Alcantara stays in the OF then you're talking about multiple redundancies there with Soler, Almora, Schwarber and McKinney and that's before consideration for Eloy Jimenez and others who may be surprisingly good(Dunston for example). And while I get the idea of keeping talent and seeing what pans out, other than Schwarber, McKinney and Vogelbach most of the top 10 guys are at AA or higher so you're going to have to make some decisions in the next year or so anyways.
That's not to say they couldn't still sign another arm in FA but if we hypothetically suggest they some how manage to offload Jackson on someone you could add someone like Lester/Scherzer, a younger stud with talent similar to Reds trading for Latos, have Arrieta as a #3 and then have Hendricks, Straily, Jokish, Beeler, Wood, and Ramirez(?) duke it out for 4th/5th starter. You put that together with the bigger bats coming up and suddenly the team looks pretty decent even if a Latos type trade costs you two of the top 75 prospects.
