technical details
  1. is_video => true
  2. is_chrome_page => null
  3. article_body => "<p>Cubs manager David Ross said he\u2019s \u201coptimistic\u201d of a possible reunion between the club and free agent starting pitcher Jon Lester this winter.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>\u201cI hold out hope. I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy, so I keep my fingers crossed,\u201d Ross told reporters on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>After six seasons on the North Side, Lester hit the open market in late October when the Cubs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/cubs\/cubs-decline-jon-lester-option-expected-exercise-anthony-rizzo\">bought out his $25 million option<\/a> for the 2021 season. But he and the club have expressed mutual interest in extending their partnership on numerous occasions, dating back to the end of the 2020 regular season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>New team president Jed Hoyer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/cubs\/jed-hoyer-cubs-staying-touch-jon-lester-would-love-reunion\">said last week<\/a> the club has been in touch with Lester\u2019s representatives this winter and will continue to be, adding they\u2019ve expressed their desire to work something out with the veteran lefty.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>\u201cIf things could work out, we\u2019d love to have him back,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cWe have to figure some things out first. That kind of goes without saying, because otherwise, something would be done by now.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Ross has stayed in touch with Lester this winter, among other Cubs, but has checked in more&nbsp;as a friend rather than&nbsp;as their manager. Ross told Lester&nbsp;he wished he was in Chicago when Lester bought nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/cubs\/jon-lester-buys-cubs-fans-nearly-50k-beer-over-weekend-going-away-party\">$50,000 worth of beer<\/a> for&nbsp;fans to offer his gratitude upon hitting the open market.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>\"I\u2019ve had plenty on his bill, that\u2019s for sure,\" Ross said.&nbsp;\"I thought that was really cool.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n<drupal-url data-embed-button=\"url\" data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/cubs-talk-podcast\/episodes\/a527c126-269e-45e1-b206-5dfe4bc3e35f\" data-entity-label=\"Embed social\" data-timestamp=\"1608158878\" data-url-provider=\"ART19\"><\/drupal-url>\r\n\r\n<drupal-entity data-embed-button=\"app_promo_embed\" data-entity-embed-display=\"view_mode:block_content.full\" data-entity-type=\"block_content\" data-entity-uuid=\"84a634bd-85a1-4e39-9e2a-7d404e5646e3\" data-langcode=\"en\"><\/drupal-entity>\r\n"
  4. created => 1608159150
  5. changed => 1608161460
  6. status => true
  7. hero_image_credit => "GETTY"
  8. tags => null
  9. field_bean_single_col => null
  10. section => null
  11. orig_image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1280","height":"720","uri":"public:\/\/article\/hero\/Lester_Jon_GettyImages-1257669820.jpg","timestamp":1600359264}
  12. image => {"alt":"","title":"","width":"1280","height":"720","uri":"public:\/\/article\/hero\/Lester_Jon_GettyImages-1257669820.jpg","timestamp":1600359264}
  13. video_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/video\/theo-epstein-praises-jon-lester-after-his-possible-last-season"
  14. is_mediaid => true
  15. mediaid => "fRJiBbf1yIKW"
  16. video_autoplay => null
  17. video_automute => null
  18. mpx_account_id => "BxmELC"
  19. player_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/vplayer\/p\/BxmELC\/chicago_main\/select\/media\/fRJiBbf1yIKW?form=html&autoPlay=true"
  20. chrome_data => null
  21. description => "Lester and the Cubs have each expressed interest in a reunion on several occasions since the 2020 season ended."
  22. league => "MLB"
  23. league_id => "98"
  24. sport => "Baseball"
  25. sport_id => "5"
  26. image_credit => "GETTY"
  27. no_promo => false
  28. no_trending_in_body => false
  29. no_recirc => false
  30. no_trend => false
  31. short_title => "David Ross holding out hope Jon Lester returns in 2021"
  32. sponsorship_type => "presented_by"
  33. topic => "MLB Free Agency"
  34. topic_id => "21126"
  35. type => "article"
  36. alias => "\/chicago\/cubs\/cubs-david-ross-holding-out-hope-jon-lester-returns-2021"
  37. title => "Cubs\u2019 David Ross \u2018holding out hope\u2019 Jon Lester returns in 2021"
  38. nid => "229536"
  39. author_0 => "Tim Stebbins"
  40. author_0_id => "6476"
  41. mps => {"author_0":"Tim Stebbins"}
  42. region => "chicago"
  43. region_id => "4"
  44. sponsor => null
  45. sponsor_id => null
  46. team_id => "75"
  47. team => "Cubs"
  48. published => 1608159600
  49. article_type => "short"
  50. meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/chicago\/cubs\/cubs-david-ross-holding-out-hope-jon-lester-returns-2021.json","assets":["public:\/\/article\/hero\/Lester_Jon_GettyImages-1257669820.jpg"]}
Cubs

/ by Tim Stebbins
Cubs

Cubs manager David Ross said he’s “optimistic” of a possible reunion between the club and free agent starting pitcher Jon Lester this winter.

“I hold out hope. I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy, so I keep my fingers crossed,” Ross told reporters on Wednesday.

After six seasons on the North Side, Lester hit the open market in late October when the Cubs bought out his $25 million option for the 2021 season. But he and the club have expressed mutual interest in extending their partnership on numerous occasions, dating back to the end of the 2020 regular season.

New team president Jed Hoyer said last week the club has been in touch with Lester’s representatives this winter and will continue to be, adding they’ve expressed their desire to work something out with the veteran lefty.

“If things could work out, we’d love to have him back,” Hoyer said. “We have to figure some things out first. That kind of goes without saying, because otherwise, something would be done by now.”

Ross has stayed in touch with Lester this winter, among other Cubs, but has checked in more as a friend rather than as their manager. Ross told Lester he wished he was in Chicago when Lester bought nearly $50,000 worth of beer for fans to offer his gratitude upon hitting the open market.

 

"I’ve had plenty on his bill, that’s for sure," Ross said. "I thought that was really cool."

Download
Download MyTeams Today!