Jon Lester’s free agency tour will head south.
Lester will have a meeting with the Atlanta Braves this week, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney. The free-agent pitcher already lined up meetings with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, according to reports.
Lester has drawn “legitimate interest” from six clubs, a major league source recently told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. The Red Sox, Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays were believed to be among the interested parties. Perhaps the Braves also represent one of the six, though it certainly comes as a surprise.
The Braves already made an offseason splash Monday by trading outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for starter Shelby Miller and pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins. Heyward had been the subject of trade speculation for a while since he’s eligible for free agency after the 2015 season.
Signing Lester certainly would constitute another splash by the Braves. Lester lives in Atlanta in the offseason, so the Braves could use that as leverage in negotiations if they are, in fact, legitimately interested in the veteran left-hander.
Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com said Tuesday on CBS Sports Radio that he has gotten the sense the Cubs think Lester will sign with the Red Sox this offseason. Lester, of course, spent his first eight-plus seasons in Boston before being shipped to the Oakland Athletics at this year’s Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline.
Lester, who turns 31 in January, is coming off a career-best campaign. He went 16-11 with a 2.46 ERA in 32 starts split between Boston and Oakland.
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