Jon Lester has a number of offers on the table after visiting the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves this offseason. He's expected to make a decision no later than Tuesday, so where will he end up?
According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, sources have said Lester is now choosing between the Cubs and Giants. He reported earlier today that the Giants were getting serious consideration from the left-hander, which could be a result of catcher Buster Posey joining San Francisco executives in a recent meeting with Lester. However, Chicago's offer for six years and $138 million is the largest disclosed offer Lester has on the table.
Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com reported earlier today that Lester's agents are seeking a $150 million deal and are "giving the process a little more time in the hopes that one of the four known bidders - the Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers - would up their offer." Being that every team involved is in a big market and has at least a fair amount of financial flexibility, this report isn't surprising, but it will be interesting to see if the Red Sox offer him a bigger contract to persuade him at the last minute.
Shortly after Rosenthal's report, both ESPN's Jim Bowden and Rob Bradford of WEEI.com spoke with Lester's agent Seth Levinson, who said it's "absolutely untrue" that the Giants and Cubs are currently finalists. The 30-year-old Lester has perhaps been the most tracked free agent this offseason and Rosenthal's report doesn't help the fact that his agents want a $150 million deal. Although what Levinson said might be true, it should also be noted that it's a possibility he's saying that to help the bidding for his client.
Every team said to be interested in Lester provides an appealing case: the Red Sox drafted him and he played there for over eight seasons before he was traded to the Oakland A's in July; the Giants won three World Series titles in the past five years and would be a good bet for Lester to earn another ring; the Cubs are an up-and-coming team and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein worked with Lester for a number of years in Boston and; the Dodgers have one of the best teams in the game and Lester would pitch behind the best pitcher in the game, Clayton Kershaw. The Braves dropped out shortly after the big offers were made to the left-hander.
We'll know where Lester is heading within the next 24 hours.
