Jon Lester

There's always that dark-horse team that gets in the way of your MLB free agency predictions.

Don't worry; it happens to everybody.

But staying informed on the hottest free-agent rumors makes it easier to decipher which teams will be players for which free agents. Of course, you'll always have those situations like when the Seattle Mariners shocked the entire universe and outbid the New York Yankees for Robinson Cano.

But that doesn't happen often.

In only about three years, Theo Epstein has built the Chicago Cubs farm system into one of the game’s best.  Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Javier Baez and Jorge Soler are four of the most exciting young prospects in the league, and 28-year-old right-hander Jake Arrieta emerged on the scene as a potential ace with a sterling year in 2014.

The hot-stove season is less than a month underway, but the Boston Red Sox have wasted no time stealing plenty of headlines.

The MLB offseason figures to be a busy one for many teams across the league, and we can expect to see many familiar faces in new places once the dust settles.

You'll know President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein finally has the Chicago Cubs ready to make a run at ending their 106-year championship drought when he strikes a deal with an old associate of his: Jon Lester.

Granted, we're technically in the realm of "if" rather than "when." The Cubs aren't any more assured to sign the 30-year-old left-hander than any other club eyeing him in free agency.

Starting pitcher Jon Lester is among the hottest commodities on the MLB free-agent market this offseason, and there has been no shortage of buzz regarding teams with potential interest.    

Both Max Scherzer and Jon Lester will command big-money contracts this upcoming offseason. 

But because this is the offseason, it's only natural to compare the two most coveted free agents in the 2015 class.

The Boston Red Sox figure to be active players in the free-agent market, and they'll need to be if they hope to compete once more in 2015.

The Red Sox need to add significant pieces to their starting rotation. They need to shore up their bullpen. And they must seriously considering pursuing upgrades at the hot corner and at backup catcher, too.

From the historic dominance of Clayton Kershaw to the epic collapses of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves, it's been a memorable 2014 MLB regular season.

Simply put, there have been major winners and serious losers from all around the league. Jon Lester falls onto the right side of that equation thanks to a brilliant second half, which has set him up for a winter payday. 

Driving to work is the worst.

Spending hours of your life shoving a vehicle through traffic is tantamount to torture, but not knowing exactly how to get to your destination makes it that much worse.

This is Jon Lester’s daily grind, and he's using technology to help make his adjustment to life with the Oakland A’s easier.