Retirement is not in the plans of pending free agent John Lackey. According to Jon Heyman, Lackey, who pitched for the Chicago Cubs in 2017, is planning on returning to MLB in 2018.
sources: john lackey intends to pitch in 2018. not retiring.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 8, 2017
Lackey, 39, broke into the league in 2002 as a member of the then Anaheim Angels. With the exception of the 2012 season, which he missed with an injury, he’s remained active in the big leagues ever since.
He’s spent the last two years with the Cubs. In 2017, Lackey went 12-12 in 31 outings (30 starts). He posted a 4.59 ERA, 1.277 WHIP, and struck out 149 batters in 170.2 innings.
If Lackey does indeed return, it will certainly be at a discounted rate. He made $16 million in 2017. In his career, Lackey has made one All-Star team and won three World Series (2002, 2013, 2016). In between pitching for the Angels and Cubs, he pitched for the Boston Red Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals.