Unless you've been living under a rock, you are well aware that Jon Lester is probably going to be traded in the next 24 hours. Additionally, he is due to become a free agent at the end of this baseball season.
While there have been an awful lot of talks of what kind of money and how many years he is likely to get, there is one thing that I have not seen discussed anywhere. While maybe it will not be a popular thing to talk about, I have to imagine it is in the back of the minds of those who will be paying his paycheck for the next couple years.
What is this unspoken thing that seems to not have been mentioned? Jon Lester fought ALCL (Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma) and won. What happens if the cancer returns? While everyone will feel badly for Lester, his contract will still need to be paid. Unlike NFL contracts, MLB contracts are guaranteed.
While it is pretty standard that pre-existing injuries are sometimes rolled into signings, I'm not sure I've ever heard what happens with things such as cancer. I'm not even sure if it is something that they can do for that matter. Regardless of how deep a baseball team's pockets appear to be, they would be foolish not to have a special type of contract written in regards to Lester and a cancer relapse.
Although I'm not a cancer expert and really don't agree with western medicine whatsoever, I do know that the term "beating cancer" doesn't mean a whole lot. People "beat cancer" all the time only to have it come back. In regards to completely beating the disease, I do hope that Lester doesn't relapse and has made changes in his lifestyle to maintain his health. Regardless, his next contract does need to take
While it is pretty standard that pre-existing injuries are sometimes rolled into signings, I'm not sure I've ever heard what happens with things such as cancer. I'm not even sure if it is something that they can do for that matter. Regardless of how deep a baseball team's pockets appear to be, they would be foolish not to have a special type of contract written in regards to Lester and a cancer relapse.
Although I'm not a cancer expert and really don't agree with western medicine whatsoever, I do know that the term "beating cancer" doesn't mean a whole lot. People "beat cancer" all the time only to have it come back. In regards to completely beating the disease, I do hope that Lester doesn't relapse and has made changes in his lifestyle to maintain his health. Regardless, his next contract does need to take
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