Lester continues to talk to four teams
BOSTON, MA (The Spread) – While he was expected to make a decision last week, Jon Lester continues to leave his free agency options open.
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Lester continues to talk to the Red Sox, Cubs, Giants and Dodgers as he draws near a decision on whom he wants to play for in 2015. Many believe that he’ll return to Boston and the Red Sox have made a strong push over the last week, but nobody is ruling out him staying out west after he was traded to Oakland in the middle of the season.
The Red Sox have been the most active team in free agency thus far, inking deals with third baseman Pablo Sandoval (Giants) and shortstop-turned-outfielder Hanley Ramirez (Dodgers). But pitching is still a major concern and Boston’s front office must realize that without adding an arm like Lester or fellow free agent Max Scherzer, it won’t matter how much punch they add to their offense. (Although getting a healthy Dustin Pedroia, who is pictured above, will certainly help regardless.)
The Cubs are in a similar boat. They have money to burn and have been a potential landing spot for Lester and Scherzer since free agency began. While their position talent isn’t as experienced as Boston’s, the Cubs do have plenty of young bats that they can lean on in 2015. But without the arms to complement said bats, Theo Epstein’s rebuilding project in Chicago could drag on.
As for the Giants, they lost Sandoval to Boston despite offering him similar money and also watched as International Free Agent Yasmany Tomas signed with NL West rival Arizona. They have money to burn and a need for another front-of-the-line starter to pair with Madison Bumgarner. They also need to fill holes at third base and left field, so if they continue to miss out on free agents then they could be in trouble.
The Dodgers don’t necessarily need to add another pitch so they may have entered the sweepstakes in efforts to jack up the price for their rivals, the Giants. Then again, they’re big spenders so they’re not afraid to add more payroll.
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