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Cubs Sign John Lackey To 2-Year Deal

(CBS) The Cubs have signed free-agent right-hander John Lackey to a two-year, $32-million deal, sources confirmed Friday. The news was first reported by Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Lackey, 37, went 13-10 with a 2.77 ERA in 2015 and served as the Cardinals' ace after Adam Wainwright was hurt for most of the year. Depending on who else the Cubs add this offseason, Lackey figures to slot in at the No. 3 spot in the rotation behind NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester.

Since missing the entire 2012 season following Tommy John surgery, Lackey has been durable for the last three years, logging 189 1/3, 198 and 218 innings, respectively. In 2015, Lackey had a 1.21 WHIP and strikeout rate of 7.2 per nine innings.

Lackey is 165-127 with a 3.92 ERA in his 13-year career.

Lackey's shorter-term commitment was appealing to the Cubs, who were interested in left-hander David Price but couldn't match the $217 million that the Red Sox committed to him over seven years. Chicago is believed to have entered the offseason with between $20 million and $30 million in additional 2016 payroll it could hand out, so Lackey's average annual value would fit snugly in that and still leave room to add another difference-maker elsewhere.

Lackey is close friends with Lester from their days in Boston, where they helped lead the Red Sox to a 2013 World Series championship. They were also central figures in the 2011 Red Sox's collapse and the chicken-and-beer scandal, in which Lester, Lackey and several other Boston players reportedly played video games, ate fried chicken and drank beer in the clubhouse during games in which they weren't scheduled to pitch as the team had a historic September collapse.

As a former Red Sox executive, current Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein brought Lackey to Boston in December 2009 on a five-year, $82-million deal.

Known to have a passionate personality that he brings to the mound, Lackey has often been at his best in the postseason. He's 8-5 with a 3.11 ERA in 127 1/3 career postseason innings. He's a two-time champion, having pitched the clincher for the Angels in 2002 as well as the Red Sox in 2013.

With 7 1/3 shutout innings, Lackey beat the Cubs in Game 1 of the NLDS before Chicago rallied for a 3-1 series win. Lackey took a no-decision in allowing four runs in three innings in the Game 4 finale.

The Cubs will lose their 2016 first-round pick, per MLB rules, because Lackey was extended a qualifying offer by the Cardinals.

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