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Is Swanson the Chicago Cubs' Next Jon Lester?

The Chicago Cubs signing of shortstop Dansby Swanson has a lot of parallels to that of the franchise's signing of Jon Lester. Does it send the same message?

The singing of superstar shortstop Dansby Swanson marks a new era for the Chicago Cubs. It signals the rebuild is over and one of the most storied franchises in all of sports is ready to contend again. 

As starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks pointed out in a recent interview with the Sun-Times, he pointed to the singing of Swanson as a similar move to that of the acquisition of pitcher Jon Lester.

While the two play(ed) vastly different positions, the signings mark a stark turning point in the club's ambitions and goals. 

Much like in 2015 when Lester signed, Swanson's arrival is ushering in a new era of competitive baseball.

When the Cubs went through their last rebuild, veteran pitcher Jon Lester’s signing signaled to Hendricks that the club was turning a corner and ready to win. Now, Hendricks agreed, Swanson could be this cycle’s equivalent.

“He is the No. 1 guy that you refer to and when you say ‘winning,’ ” Hendricks said. “I mean, you see what he’s done throughout his entire life, really. And just talking to him, you see the passion, you see how much he loves doing what he does.”

It would be nice to see Swanson turn into the next Lester, at least in spirit, as Chicago once again aims for World Series glory. 

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