Jon Lester is one of the prize free agents on the market this season and two NL Central teams could end up battling for his services, as the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs are reportedly interested in signing the former Boston Red Sox starting pitcher this offseason along with the Toronto Blue Jays and NY Yankees.
Lester was traded last season to the Oakland Athletics after playing for the Red Sox for his entire career and it appears likely that he will be leaving Boston. The Cardinals just traded Shelby Miller for Jason Heyward and could use another arm, while the Cubs reportedly are willing to spend money this offseason. According to Hardball Talk, Jim Bowden at ESPN.com writes that the Cardinals could be a potential suitor for Lester after making the trade with Miller and after dealing with Michael Wacha's injuries lasts season.
ESPN.com reports that the Red Sox have an offer on the table for Lester and while many don't see him going back to Boston, the team clearly is interested in bringing him back. When Lester was traded this summer he said that he could consider the Red Sox as a free agent, but most in the baseball world speculate that he will not sign back, as he is looking for a bigger contract than they are willing to give. Lester rejected a four year deal in the offseason last year and now he has interest from a number of teams, including the Braves, Blue Jays and possibly the Yankees, according to ESPN insider Buster Olney.
Last season Lester had a strong year and he was traded to the Athletics at the trading deadline in July for Yoenis Cespedes. Lester is turning 31 in January and he is hitting the market at the right time, as he had the best season of his career and could command a contract worth up to $140 million. The Yankees likely will not jump in for Lester since they just signed Masahiro Tanaka to a big deal, but the team could change their minds depending on how the market plays out.
Lester went 16-11 last season with a 2.46 ERA and 220 strikeouts and he now is the top lefty pitcher on the market. The Cardinals and Cubs both could be ready to spend some money, as Chicago feels they are close to contending, while the Cards just traded for Jason Heyward and could go all-in on this season. The Cubs have a number of young players ready for the majors and the one major need they have is pitching and with the connections to Boston, Theo Epstein could get Lester in on a lucrative contract, as the team has money to spend.
Lester is among the top pitchers on the market with Max Scherzer and James Shields and those two players could also be targets for the teams that miss on Lester. Scherzer will likely be asking for the most money since he won a Cy Young two years ago and has Scott Boras as an agent, while Shields could also command a big contract after his two years in Kansas City.
