After a decorated 16-season big-league career, Jon Lester is hanging up his spikes.
Lester, the former Cubs ace who helped bring a championship to the North Side, announced he's retiring Wednesday in an interview with ESPN's Jesse Rogers.
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Lester's former Cubs teammates took to social media to react to the news and celebrate his career, including Lester's longtime personal catcher and former manager David Ross.
Ross is Lester’s career leader in innings caught (578 2/3) between stints together with the Red Sox and Cubs. He was his manager in Chicago in 2020, Lester's final season with the Cubs.
Willson Contreras — Lester's personal catcher after Ross retired from 2017-20 — thanked the lefty in an Instagram post.
Kyle Schwarber, Lester's teammate in Chicago and Washington, shouted out Lester on Twitter.
Cubs broadcaster Jim Deshaies congratulated Lester on an "amazing run"
Lester, whose signing with the Cubs seven years ago was considered the pivotal moment in their rebuild, retires a five-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion (2007 and 2013 with the Red Sox, 2016 with the Cubs).
He finished top 10 in Cy Young Award voting four times, including a runner-up finish with the Cubs in 2016.
He compiled a 3.66 ERA between the Red Sox, A's, Cubs, Nationals and Cardinals, and last September became the 119th pitcher and 30th lefty to reach 200 career wins, doing so with St. Louis.