Morning Mound Visit: Jon Lester announces retirement

Al Yellon | Bleed Cubbie Blue: Jon Lester announced his retirement on Wednesday putting an end to a decorated 16-year career. Lester’s arrival in Chicago signaled the Cubs’ surge to dominance as he helped the north siders to their first World Series in 108-years.

Matt Collins | Over the Monster: Of course, Lester didn’t just find success with the Cubs. Lester also won two World Series with the Boston Red Sox. It’s rare to find a player like Lester who meant so much to two different fan bases. Lester will end his career with 44.2 rWAR over 2740 innings pitched with a 3.66 ERA.

Russell Carleton | Baseball Prospectus $: Ask any dad and they’ll tell you the problem with baseball is that there are too many shifts. However, in 2021, there were fewer shifts than in recent history. At least there were fewer shifts against right-handed hitters.