Braves to meet with Lester on Thursday
The Atlanta Braves are scheduled to meet with free agent left-hander Jon Lester on Thursday, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Lester, who resides in Sharpsburg, Ga., has been highly coveted this offseason, and the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are among the teams that have expressed interest in the 30-year-old.
Atlanta has a need for starting pitching as Ervin Santana, Aaron Harang and Gavin Floyd are all hitting free agency, while Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy are still recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The Braves have already been active this offseason, acquiring right-handed starter Shelby Miller on Monday in a deal that sent outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to St. Louis.
While Atlanta is said to be spend-conscious this offseason, they could free up money by unloading either Justin Upton or Evan Gattis to spend on Lester. The nine-year veteran is likely to fetch a multi-year deal with an annual salary over $20 million.
Lester posted the best season of his nine-year career in 2014, going 16-11 with a 2.46 ERA and 220 strikeouts in 219 2/3 innings between the Red Sox and Oakland Athletics.