Jon Lester's Cubs Teammates Emphatically Deny He's Planning to Retire After 2020 Season

Jon Lester has been with the Chicago Cubs since 2015, and could be on the final year of his deal in 2020. He has a vesting option for 2021 that kicks in if he reaches 200 innings in 2020. However, that seems impossible with a shortened season ahead of him.

The southpaw is 36 years old, and it is easy to begin wondering if 2020 will be his final season in general. One Cubs-centric account tweeted out such speculation, only for a few of Lester's teammates to shut that notion down.

you can publicly speculate about Jon Lester retiring from the Cubs all you want but just know that you’ll have to answer to his boys ??? pic.twitter.com/KOfXJc7I2p
— sarah (@slwein) May 5, 2020

Cubs catcher Willson Contreras quickly shut down the story by saying Lester isn't going anywhere. Then Ian Happ seconded the opinion, and was also there to defend his veteran teammate.

It is important to note, though, that Lester has recently discussed the possibility of finishing his career in Boston.

Jon Lester to @bradfo: "Absolutely it would be cool to go back and finish my career where it all started."https://t.co/uF71lQOOSt
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) May 5, 2020

A "Last Dance" for Lester in Chicago could mean he is done with the Cubs, but still set to finish his career elsewhere. So while his teammates believe he has plenty left in the tank, his time in Chicago could be coming to an end.