C. Trent Rosecrans

crosecrans@enquirer.com

SAN DIEGO — On Monday, Walt Jocketty asked what the word was on free agent left-hander Jon Lester, and at that point the word was he was down to the Cubs and the Giants.

"Let's hope he ends up in the Bay Area," Jocketty said.

He didn't. He landed in what was already maybe the most hotly contested division in baseball, the National League Central, agreeing to a reported six-year deal worth $155 million with the Cubs late Tuesday night.

The deal not only couples Lester with Jake Arrieta, but it also sets a floor in talks with Reds ace Johnny Cueto, who is a free agent after the 2015 season.

Jocketty said representatives from the team had talks with Cueto's agent, Bryce Dixon, on Tuesday, but he was not involved. That's a sign that any extension talks are in their infancy, at best.

While the Reds are looking to move payroll from this year's team, Jocketty has expressed an interest in extending Cueto. Cueto has also said he'd be open to an extension this offseason and is happy in Cincinnati, but it's unlikely he'd take much of a "hometown discount" — especially since his hometown is in the Dominican Republic.

Cueto is coming off the best season in his career, finishing second in National League Cy Young voting after unanimous winner Clayton Kershaw. Cueto went 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA, leading the National League in starts (34), innings (243.2) and strikeouts (242).

Lester, meanwhile, was 16-11 with a 2.46 ERA between Boston and Oakland. In his career, he's 116-67 with a 3.58 and a 121 ERA+. Cueto is 85-57 with a 3.27 ERA and 123 ERA+. ERA+ adjust a pitcher's ERA to his ballpark and the league average, with 100 being the league average.

Cueto is two years younger (28) than Lester (30), who has been more durable than Cueto, having started more than 30 games in each of the last seven seasons. Cueto has made 30 or more starts in five of the last seven years, but was limited to just 11 starts in 2013 due to injury.

Lester's signing leaves Max Scherzer as the clear top dog in the free agent pitching market, and reports came out on Tuesday that Scherzer and agent Scott Boras are looking for a deal worth more than $200 million.

Lester was seen as a more affordable option than Scherzer, which could help the Reds' trade hopes. Jocketty is shopping the team's starters because four members of the team's five-man rotation - Cueto, Mat Latos, Mike Leake and Alfredo Simon - will be free agents, and Jocketty is on orders to cut payroll before Opening Day.

While many observers thought the Lester deal was holding up other movement on pitching deals, Jocketty said earlier Tuesday that he didn't think it would affect the Reds' talks.

"We should be able to do something without worrying about free agents," Jocketty said before the signing on Tuesday. "I think the number of clubs in play changes, I guess."

It does add the Red Sox back into the mix of teams looking for pitching, and Boston has one thing the Reds need in an outfielder. The team is reportedly dangling outfielder Yoenis Cespedes for a pitcher. And either Leake or Latos, both of whom are third-year arbitration eligible and are likely to make in excess of $10-million next season, could interest Boston. Cespedes makes $10.5 million in 2015 and is a free agent after the season.

Meanwhile, the Cubs had been lauded for their farm system and were expected to improve incrementally over the next couple of seasons, but Theo Epstein and Co. have apparently hit the fast forward button. In addition to Lester, the team agreed to terms with right-hander Jason Hammel to a two-year deal on Monday and then traded for All-Star catcher Miguel Montero from the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

"I'm sure he'll help them," Jocketty said of Montero. "We knew they were after a catcher, they were after (Russell) Martin, I guess. I'm kind of surprised Arizona moved (Montero)."

The Cubs were the only team to finish behind the Reds in 2015 and they've already jumped ahead of Cincinnati — and pretty much the rest of baseball — in offseason buzz. It adds another possible contender in a division filled with teams who believe they can win in 2015.

"There's a great feeling about being in that, because it's so competitive — but they are, (and) everyone is getting better," Reds manager Bryan Price said on Monday. "I don't see a team there that's taking a step backwards as far as improving their club and being optimistic about having even a better year in 2015. By the time we get into spring training, we're hoping to be in that same position where we're talking about our chances. And in the end, as I said last year, you have to play 162 games and decide who the best team is."