St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher John Lackey is known as a big game player, and he proved this against the Chicago Cubs in a 4-0 win during Game 1 of the National League Division Series. The 36-year-old tossed seven and a third strong innings, allowing only two hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

He is set to start Game 4 of the NLDS as the Cardinals try to force a do-or-die fifth game, per STL Today. With the team losing 8-6 in Game 3, Lackey could be used as a starter on short rest, as opposed to the planned start of Lance Lynn.

The series and the season have not yet concluded, but there are already rumors that Lackey is on the move as there is a possibility of him joining the Cubs next season. The Boston Globe reports that the right-hander can sign with the Chicago side as he is set to become a free agent next year.

The report noted that Cubs President for Baseball Operations Theo Epstein was the one who signed Lackey to a five-year, $82.5 million contract when he was still with the Boston Red Sox back in 2009. The Texas-native is also a close friend of current Cubs starter and former Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester.

The Cardinals picked up the option on Lackey's contract this season as he played for a league minimum of $500,000 with incentives that could total the deal to $2 million, as per ESPN. The two-time World Series champion had a terrific season for his age. Considering that he had Tommy John surgery in 2012, he did well with a 2.77 ERA and a 13-10 record. He also pitched 218 innings and started 33 games for the Cardinals, per Baseball-Reference.com.

The Cubs are reportedly looking for a veteran starter after ace Jake Arrieta as well as veterans Jon Lester and Jason Hammel are in the rotation. ESPN reports that Lackey fits the profile as he will not be a long-term commitment and will be a serviceable starter for a young Cubs team.

The report also added that the former 2007 all-star is also on the radar of the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers as he is from Abilene, Texas. As for Chicago, they were eyeing to re-sign Dan Haren, but the 35-year-old announced his retirement after a 3-1 win in the final regular season game, per a separate report from ESPN.

Both parties and clubs will have to wait until the start of the offseason as the MLB playoffs are underway. The Cardinals are down in the NLDS 2-1, and they will look to avoid elimination with the possibility of Lackey on the mound.