Just think. More craziness awaits.
Jon Lester, who was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Oakland Athletics at the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline, has been forced to deal with questions regarding his contract status and impending free agency all season. All the while, Lester has been sensational, creating what will be an interesting bidding war on the open market.
“At times, it feels like it has gone by in a blink of any eye. Other times, you sit back and think, ‘That happened this year?,” Lester told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford via a phone interview Friday. “My bearings are all off as far as what happened this year, what didn’t happen this year. It’s just been a whirlwind. It’s been a crazy year.”
Lester and the Red Sox both expressed a desire to extend their relationship beyond 2014. The 30-year-old was a homegrown talent, a face of the franchise and a pitcher performing better than he had at any point in his nine-year major league career. The sides couldn’t agree to an extension in spring training or during the season, though, and the Red Sox traded him to the A’s along with outfielder Jonny Gomes in exchange for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.
Neither side has ruled out a potential reunion. The sides parted ways amicably and Boston certainly could use a top-flight starting pitcher for 2015 and beyond. With Lester’s stock soaring and his future in Boston unclear, however, the Red Sox simply couldn’t risk losing the ace in free agency and receiving nothing more than draft pick compensation.
“I think it’s been more than I expected,” Lester told Bradford of the season-long contract chatter. “Obviously being in Boston, you’re always going to have the talk. It’s always there. There’s always that possibility you’re asked about it. I just didn’t think it would be asked as often as it was.
“I thought at the beginning of the year it would be pretty heavy because everything that was being said in spring training about saying we’re going to try and get it done. I figured maybe April there would be some, but then it would die down until after the All-Star break, then maybe in September you would have to deal with it a lot more. But for me it seemed like every start there was something that was brought up about it. And that’s fine. I just didn’t think it would actually happen as much as it did.”
Lester, who learned to deal with the constant barrage of contract inquiries, went 10-7 with a 2.52 ERA in 21 starts with Boston this season, thrusting himself into the American League Cy Young discussion. The veteran southpaw has only improved since joining Oakland, posting a 6-4 record and 2.35 ERA in 11 high-pressure starts for a team on the cusp of reaching the postseason.
Lester likely will cash in on a big payday this winter. It’s been a long journey, to say the least.
Photo via Ed Szczepanski/USA TODAY Sports Images
