Someday, we’re all going to be able to detach from Twitter and resume our normal lives. That is, if Jon Lester lets us.
But for now, that’s not the case, as the free agent left-hander is yet to decide between the two final teams left in the sweepstakes – the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs.
Industry expectation all day has been #Cubs for Lester. But you can't count out those #RedSox, who are reportedly still in the running.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 10, 2014
At the onset of the day, the Cubs and Red Sox were joined in the running by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, but in the evening hours Tuesday night, both clubs were eliminated. The Giants will likely utilize the money that would have been spent on the southpaw in addressing several needs, including a third baseman and starting pitching behind Madison Bumgarner.
Lester personally called members of the Giants, and assistant GM Bobby Evans told Alex Pavlovic, who broke the news, that the team was out of the running.
Bobby Evans said Giants made multiple offers. Lester called half hour ago with news. Evans: "We did not receive a rose."
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) December 10, 2014
The Cubs added catcher Miguel Montero in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier Tuesday, sending a pair of A-ball prospects to the desert in return, and also brought back former right-hander Jason Hammel on a two-year deal that was announced Monday. Should the team land Lester, it is believed the organization could expedite the rebuild and look to add an impact bat this winter, as well – setting the club up for a postseason run as early as 2015.
Last season, Lester pitched to a career-best 2.46 ERA with the Red Sox and Oakland Athletics, also marking the sixth time in the last seven seasons he eclipsed 200 innings pitched.