If the Boston Red Sox are out of the Jon Lester sweepstakes, it’s news to general manager Ben Cherington.
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that Lester will choose between the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, barring a late change. Lester’s agent, Seth Levinson, since has denied the report, and Cherington further shot down the notion that Boston is out of the running while speaking with reporters Monday night at the Major League Baseball winter meetings in San Diego.
“I haven’t been told we’re out, so I assume we’re not out,” Cherington said.
Cherington had no scheduled plans to meet with Lester’s agents as of Monday night’s media availability. The GM said he expected to meet with them at some point, though. It appears the pitcher could make his decision on where to sign sooner rather than later.
“With regards to Lester, we respect that he’s got a decision that’s going to be made and we assume that will be sometime soon,” Cherington said. “We’ve been involved and had a chance to talk to him at length on numerous occasions. It sounds like he’s getting closer to a decision. Aside from that, I don’t know any more than that.”
While the Red Sox might still be in the hunt for Lester, the club seems to realize that it’s entirely possible the left-hander will sign elsewhere. Red Sox manager John Farrell said Monday he’s still confident Boston can sign Lester, but Cherington noted the organization is casting a wide net in its search for starting pitching.
“I think we’ve never looked at it like Plan A, B, C, D. We’ve looked at it like we need to build a rotation, so we have to be in all sorts of stuff, and we have been in all sorts of stuff all offseason, or to this point in the offseason,” Cherington said. “There’s probably — between free-agent possibilities and trade possibilities — 15, 20 starting pitching scenarios we’ve talked about and worked on, so obviously not all those are going to land, and more of those won’t land than will land.
“We just have to stay involved and keep working and work as hard as we can to get the ones to land that make the most sense. I don’t see it as a Plan A, B or C. I see it as we’re trying to build a good rotation and we’ve got to look at every possibility to do that.”
Lester, who turns 31 next month, clearly is the Red Sox’s top priority. He likely will be until he finally chooses a team, and Boston is holding out hope that his choice will entail a return to where it all began.
Thumbnail photo via Jesse Johnson/USA TODAY Sports Images
