Lester already has said he’d take a hometown discount to finish his career in Boston, and he reiterated that sentiment Monday when talking to reporters for the first time since the start of spring training. The free-agent-to-be wants to stay put, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
“I’m not going to go back on what I said,” Lester said, via The Boston Herald. “I mean, I said what I said from the heart, and I mean it. We’ll see where it goes from there. … I mean, you guys have probably figured me out by now, I hope, that I usually don’t say things I don’t mean. I mean it. I want to stay here. This is all I’ve known.”
The Sox picked up Lester’s $13 million option for 2014 the day after the team’s World Series win, but Lester said he and the team haven’t talked about an extension beyond this season.
“I’ve got a year left on my contract,” Lester said. “I’m going to play it out. As far as us talking to the front office or anything, we haven’t sat down. I think there’s going to be a time and a place for that. That’s not really something I’m concerned about right now. I’ve got to be worried about getting ready for the season — physically and mentally getting ready for the season. The guys I pay to do that handle that and think about that. When things start happening, then I can make a decision from there.”