The Boston Red Sox have offered free agent starting pitcher Jon Lester a six-year contract in the range of $110 million to $120 million, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Red Sox reportedly offer Jon Lester 6 years, $110 million to $120 million
Is it just a starting point or are they anticipating a hometown discount? Or both?
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
It’s an interesting dollar amount given the history of the Red Sox’s negotiations with Lester. In April, Ken Rosenthal reported that Boston had offered their ace a four-year deal worth $70 million to $80 million, an offer that seemed low at the time, even factoring in a “hometown discount.” It’s worth pointing out, both then and now, that these offers could be starting points and not lines drawn in the sand, and so it’s not worth excoriating Red Sox management just yet.
Lester still may be willing to take less to return to Boston, but Red Sox are taking the same tack that they did in April, and it’s backfired on them once already. It’s possible that their reported offer is exactly what they value him at, though, and thus not paying more isn’t a backfire so much as the negotiation/valuation process playing out.
Lester recorded a 2.46 ERA over 32 starts, striking out 220 batters and walking 48 between the Red Sox and Athletics in 2014. He's managed 200+ innings in six out of the last seven seasons and is expected to be one of the most sought after pitchers on the market, along with Max Scherzer and James Shields. He'll begin the 2015 season at age 31, with 1,596 career innings under his belt.
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