The MLB hot Stove rumors are heating up heading into the winter meetings and Jon Lester is one player to watch, as teams like the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and NY Yankees could be in the mix to sign the All-Star pitcher in free agency and he is expected to set the pitching market for Max Scherzer and James Shields.
Lester is one of the top players on the market and he has been targeted by the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants and has met with both clubs. According to ESPN Boston, the Red Sox have offered Lester a six year deal worth around $120-130 million and the Cubs are also interested in signing him to a long term contract. Lester is likely to set the market for pitchers, as he is expected to get less than Max Scherzer on the market, but more than James Shields.
Scherzer is younger and some see him with more upside over the next five years than Lester and his agent is Scott Boras, so everyone is expecting him to ask for every dime. Scherzer rejected and extension worth over $140 million with the Tigers, so he could be looking for at least $150 million or more years than they were willing to go. The Cubs have been considered the front runners for Lester for a number of reasons, including that Theo Epstein used to be his GM in Boston.
The Cubs have money to spend and the biggest holes for the team are in the pitching rotation. The team has plenty of areas where they need help, but they have a ton of offensive talent and need some pitching to balance that out. Lester would fit the bill, but he may not want to go to a team that could be a few years away from contending. The Giants are a team that is not afraid to spend money and after Pablo Sandoval left, they could pony up the cash to get Lester.
Lester had one of his best seasons and finished with a 16-11 record with a 2.46 ERA and over 200 strikeouts for the Red Sox and the Athletics. The Red Sox traded away Lester to Oakland and while he said that he would be willing to sign back with Boston, it's unlikely he will at the price they want. The team has added Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez and now they have the chance to make trades as well, as they have a stacked outfield and could move Yoenis Cespedes for pitching.
The Red Sox basically traded away their starting rotation last season and while they may not sign Lester, the team will be looking to add someone. The new offer from the team is significantly higher than the four year offer of $70 million from before the season, which Lester rejected. The Yankees could be a dark horse, but some in baseball see them as more likely to sign Scherzer over Lester. The Cubs and Giants are likely options and some have speculated that Lester could sign this week or during the winter meetings coming up.