Jon Lester spent $47,000 on beers for Cubs fans to say thank you (and maybe goodbye)

With the veteran left hander set to hit free agency, Jon Lester decided to thank the Chicago Cubs faithful with brewskis

Late last week, the Chicago Cubs revealed that they declined the option in pitcher Jon Lester’s contract, which would have paid him $25 million for the 2021 season. Lester is set to hit the open market as a free agent, but that doesn’t mean he won’t return to the team. In the case that he doesn’t return, the left-hander decided to thank the Cubs faithful with some beers.

Over the Halloween weekend, Lester tweeted out that he would be buying the first round of Miller Lites at four select Chicago bars as a thank you to Cubs fans for the hospitality over his five years with the team. On Monday, the fourth anniversary of the team winning their first World Series since 1908, Lester revealed that he paid for 4,838 beers on his tab. On top of the price of the beer, Lester added a 34% tip to his tab (his uniform number), bringing his grand total to over $47,000!

Lester’s grand goodbye gift?

Fans could grab their free round of beer at The Lodge, Hopsmith Tavern, She-nanningans and Butch McGuire’s by making a reservation and telling the bartender, “put it on Jon’s tab.” A grand gesture by Lester, as he wanted those individuals to enjoy his favorite brewski.

Lester is coming off a rather uncharacteristic season with the Cubs. Through 12 starts in the 60-game truncated season, Lester recorded a 5.16 ERA while striking out 42 batters over 61 innings of work. All in all, Lester has accumulated a 3.64 ERA, 1.248 WHIP and a 77-44 win-loss record through his six seasons in the Windy City.

Could the Cubs bring Lester back on a cheaper deal? It’s a possibility. But, Lester knows how MLB free agency works, so he’s going to listen to all offers before making a decision. Before that, Lester wanted to thank the loyal Cubs fans for the ride in the form of some brewskis.