The Baltimore Orioles are on the verge of landing left-hander Jon Lester from the Boston Red Sox, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe.
Lester, among the most coveted arms believed to be available, is a free agent at the end of the season.
#RedSox in discussions on a deal that would end Jon Lester to the #Orioles sources from both teams say. Would return a pitcher
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) July 30, 2014
MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli confirmed a trade between the two clubs is close and said Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez could be involved in a deal.
Earlier reports suggested the Orioles were unwilling to part with any of their top prospects in a deal for Lester. The Red Sox are reportedly intent on receiving at least two elite-level prospects in exchange for the 30-year-old left-hander.
Told it's very unlikely Lester deal would involve Kevin Gausman. Os are having serious discussions but again, nothing done yet.
— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) July 30, 2014
The Orioles boast four of the top prospects in all of baseball in Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey, Kevin Gausman and Eduardo Rodriguez.
