Cubs still have several options after signing free agent John Lackey

The Chicago Cubs accomplished one big goal on Friday, reaching an agreement with free-agent pitcher John Lackey on a two-year, $32 million pact. But there's still work to be done in Chicago and reason to believe the Cubs' offseason activity is only just beginning.

Focusing on Lackey first, the Cubs now have a sturdy third starter behind Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester, which is something they sorely lacked during the postseason. It didn't necessarily hurt them during the regular season, as Chicago's offense picked up plenty of slack and Joe Maddon worked his bullpen to the bone, but they simply couldn't match the New York Mets firepower in the NLCS.

Lackey, 37, brings stability, first and foremost, and experience, which is obviously valued by contending teams. But he also brings familiarity, which shouldn't be overlooked here either. Lackey was a key part of the Angels World Series championship team as a rookie in 2002. Current Cubs' manager Joe Maddon served as Mike Scioscia's bench coach that season, which began the important player-coach relationship. Seven years later, Lackey signed as a free agent with Boston, where he was recruited by general manager Theo Epstein.

Having that familiarity and an assumed comfort level should lead to a more productive relationship and more productive performance.

Seeing as the Cubs landed Lackey at a relative bargain price, it also leaves them with enough flexibility to add more pieces now. Something signing David Price may not have afforded them. They're also free of the deal in two years, when some of this money could go toward extending key position players.

It's all about planning ahead, then finding and maximizing value. The latter is something Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have excelled at since joining the Cubs following the 2011 season.

There's no better example than Arrieta, whom they acquired from the Baltimore Orioles along with reliever Pedro Strop in exchange for Scott Feldman. The Cubs will have to pay him soon too, but the point is they turned very little into an ace and a setup man. Imagine what they can do now with some money to spend and an excess of position player prospects who are ready to or are already contributing.

So many options remain for the Cubs, and in signing Lackey they've already filled their biggest need. Now they can try to double up by pursuing another second level starter, such as Mike Leake, or they can trade from their depth to add another arm. It's still a priority, after all, as they would rather not rely on both Jason Hammel or Kyle Hendricks two out of five days. If they move prospects for a controllable pitcher like San Diego's Tyson Ross, then they can dip right back into free agency to land a hitter that would make them whole.

The key here is free agency won't dictate their offseason plans like it will for other teams. In turn, they won't overpay for a player unless they truly want to. It sounds simple in theory, but it's difficult to build a team to this exact point and maintain the discipline to see it through.

Epstein and Hoyer have rebuilt this team from the rubble in less than four years, which again speaks to their vision and its execution, and their ability to stay the course bodes very well for the Cubs future.