CHICAGO -- Maybe John Lackey isn't ready to ride off into the sunset.
According to both MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi and MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, Lackey is not retiring and wants to pitch in 2018.
Lackey, who turned 39 last month, was 12-12 with a 4.59 ERA in 31 games (30 starts) for the Cubs last season. He missed time around the All-Star break because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot but finished strong, going 7-3 with a 3.75 ERA in the second half.
The right-hander appeared in three games in the National League Championship Series, all in relief, and pitched on back-to-back days for the first time in his career, Oct. 14-15, against the Dodgers.
Last season was the last of his two-year, $32 million deal with the Cubs, who are in need of starting pitching. They may consider bringing the veteran back.
When asked about his future, Lackey would only say that he wants to talk to his family before announcing his decision.
"He'll comment from time to time that this is it for him," Jacob Arrieta said last month about Lackey. "I'll mess with him all the time and say, 'No, it's not. You're 92, 94 [mph] with a good breaking ball and your body feels good. You've got at least one more in you.
"It's a pleasure to play with a guy like that. He's one of the last batches of old-school guys still in the game. There's not many of them left."