The Nationals reportedly bring in Jon Lester on a one-year contract. I have not seen any salary details. Barry Svrluga of the Washington posts likes the signing:

To be clear: I love this move. Not because I think Lester is going to throw 200 innings at a 3.00 ERA this season. He hasn’t done that since 2016, when the Cubs won the World Series and he fronted a rotation that also included Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks. But that’s not his job here. At 37, don’t ask him to re-create his 32-year-old self. It’s not likely.

Rather, this move is good because it further entrenches the Nats as to who they are. I’m worried about their defense. I’m not certain about their production from third base. I like the bullpen depth if they can find another lefty and somebody to close. But, man, they have some horses to start the game.

WashingtonPost.com

In recent years, Lester saw his strikeout rate fall while his home run rate soared. He still issues very few walks. His fastball velocity declined every year since 2016. Lester needs to transition to a softer tossing lefty role, with huge changes in speeds between pitches. It’s possible if he goes the Tommy John, Jamie Moyer route, Lester could continue to pitch for a number of years. If that does happen, Washington will need their best defense on the field to take care of all the balls in play.

The article points out that this is a rotation of alpha males, who compete against each other. The article fails to point out that they also have a history of supporting each other. Often, during games, you see the starters together discussing strategy, mechanics, etc. They all want to be the number one starter, but they also learn from each other. I think this is going to be a great environment for Lester.