The Boston Red Sox have tried to re-sign ace pitcher Jon Lester for over a year now, but for whatever reason the two sides simply can’t find a middle ground. Lester, for what it’s worth, wants a record breaking type contract while the Red Sox are looking for a hometown discount from the ace.
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Needless to say, neither side appears willing to budge and with the trade deadline looming, rumors of potential deals have hit the wire.
Is it simply a scare tactic on behalf of the Boston Red Sox, hoping to ink Jon Lester on the dotted line? Or is the All-Star spending his last few days in Beantown? Well, according to several GM’s (via ESPN’s Buster Olney) it sounds as if it’s the latter.
It’s been said that the Boston Red Sox are seeking a ‘huge’ return for Jon Lester, but with his pending free agency on the horizon they may not be able to secure themselves such a package. They’ll certainly try, of course, but they also face the challenge of David Price potentially being available. If Lester was the only big name pitcher on the block then it’s understandable that the Red Sox would be able to monopolize the market. But being that he isn’t, teams aren’t going to be offering up massive returns for Lester, especially given his contractual situation.
As for the Red Sox, if they honestly believe they won’t be able to re-sign Jon Lester when he hits free agency, there’s really no reason not to make a move, even if the return isn’t as expected.