If the Cubs do ultimately pursue Jonathan Papelbon following his release from the Nationals, as has been speculated upon, lefty Jon Lester would endorse the move, he tells ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers. “He is crazy,” Lester joked, “but he’s no crazier than the rest of us. He just gets a bad rap for what happened in the dugout. Knowing Papelbon, I’ve always had good things to say about him as a teammate, how he respects the game and how he goes about his business. People are quick to jump to the conclusions based on one event. I think he’s a great teammate.” The event to which Lester is alluding, of course, is last year’s altercation with former teammate Bryce Harper, during which Papelbon placed his hands around Harper’s throat in a dugout argument. Rogers points out that Papelbon has been effective when afforded multiple days of rest between his appearances but has struggled otherwise — especially when pitching in consecutive games. Whether he’d be an upgrade at all for the Cubs is debatable, of course, but the loss of Pedro Strop and recent implosions by Carl Edwards and Hector Rondon have left Chicago’s setup corps appearing vulnerable.

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