Free agent pitcher Jon Lester is weighing his options and now the LA Dodgers have emerged as a possible candidate to sign the pitcher along with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves and Lester could sign ahead of the winter meetings this weekend or as they begin next week.
Lester has been meeting with teams and he has reportedly had offers from the Cubs and the Red Sox already for deals upwards of $130 million. According to Hardball Talk, WEEI in Boston reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers have emerged as a late in the game option for Lester, as they have contacted his reps and may make a "late push" for the former Red Sox star. The Dodgers of course have Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke already, but some have suggested that the team could look at trading Greinke since he will be a free agent soon.
Lester is coming off of one of his best seasons and he went 16-11 with a 2.46 Era for the Athletics and Red Sox. Boston traded him at the deadline to Oakland and he helped the team get to the playoffs while nearly avoiding a collapse. Lester was one of the main pieces Billy Beane added to make a World Series push, but the team was beaten by the Kansas City Royals in the wild card game after faltering down the stretch. The team finished one game ahead of the Mariners for the second wild card spot.
The Dodgers have the money to sign Lester and they could be thinking long, as Greinke will have an opt out in his deal soon and they also may trade Matt Kemp. The Cubs have long been considered the favorite, as they have money to spend and need starting pitching. Lester has the connection to Theo Epstein from his Boston days and he is also looking for a long term deal, which the Cubs are willing to offer. Reports have the Cubs offering a $138 million deal to Lester, while the Red Sox have offered $130 million.
Lester will be 31 next year and he is coming off of a strong season in which he pitched over 210 innings and had 220 strikeouts with just 48 walks. Hardball Talk also reports that the Dodgers could look at trading Zack Greinke to sign either Lester, James Shields or Max Scherzer, as they would be in for more years with Greinke's opt out in his deal coming up. Lester has also had contact from the Cardinals and the Braves, but those two teams are not considered favorites.
The San Francisco Giants met with Lester and they come in also needing some starting pitching depth. The team won the World Series, but they did it mostly on the back of Madison Bumgarner, while Matt Cain was injured most of the season. The Giants are not afraid to spend money and they have shown in the past they will give out long term deals. The team lost Pablo Sandoval to the Red Sox and now could be poised to sign Lester, who is expected to make a decision within a week.
