David Ortiz doesn't want Red Sox to deal Jon Lester, calls him top-3 pitcher
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David Ortiz and Jon Lester probably don't remember what it's like not to be teammates.
The pair have been teammates since 2006, winning two World Series championships together.
For Ortiz's part, he doesn't want to find out, suggesting on Monday that the Boston Red Sox should work out an extension with Lester rather than looking to move him.
He had quite a bit to say about the matter:
They should [negotiate an extension]. He's one of the best pitchers in the game. You definitely want to rebuild around a guy like him. He brings everything to the table every time he takes the mound. He takes his job very seriously. He's one of the best in the game.
He's in the top three in the league. This is a guy who is very valuable to this ballclub. He's young. He's very talented. He's won a couple of World Series and you can't ask a guy for no more than what he's done. He's in his prime.
The trading rumor about my left-hander, I don't know where it came from. It might be coming from the front office or whatever. When you're planning on trading a player like that -- that caliber of a player in today's game -- you must be getting half a team from some other place.
This is a really good player, and I still believe at some point they get into an agreement and we'll get to enjoy seeing Lester pitch for [a long time]. He's a guy you enjoy watching pitch -- there's no question about it.
Ortiz's stance makes sense in the long-view, but the fact that Lester has expressed an interest in returning as a free agent if he were to be traded limits his point some.
Meanwhile, the organization is open to moving Lester and some have suggested there's a 50-50 chance he moves. With a 2.52 ERA this season and just one bad season on his record since 2007, Lester should command a hefty return, even as a two-month rental and impending free agent.
Ortiz may be disappointed if a deal goes down, but it could allow the Red Sox to add a few pieces and then re-acquire Lester in the offseason (though the team would obviously need to include the cost of a lost draft pick for signing Lester in such a plan). At 48-58 and 8 1/2 games back of a playoff spot, shopping Ortiz's pal seems the prudent move.