3 potential landing spots: Jon Lester
Jon Lester is one of the top pitchers available on the free-agent market this winter, and many teams are interested in acquiring the 30-year-old's services.
Here are three likely landing spots for the lefty:
Boston Red Sox
Boston loves Jon Lester. And Jon Lester loves Boston. This is no secret. The Red Sox have reportedly tabled a six-year, $110 million contract to the lefty - a deal his agent said showed great respect for his client. Lester spent eight-plus seasons in Boston and was instrumental in two championship runs before shockingly being dealt at the trade deadline to Oakland for Yoenis Cespedes.
The Red Sox may have rubbed Lester the wrong way, however, after low-balling him with a four-year, $70-million extension last offseason. The ball is now in Lester's court, and he knows the Fenway faithful will welcome him back with open arms. Lester will make general manager Ben Cherington look like a genius if he does return and assumes his role as staff ace.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs desperately need pitching to support their up-and-coming positional talent. Lester has already made a trip to Chicago to visit with Theo Epstein and Co., and the Cubs' future looks bright, which must be appeal to him. It's scary to think about what Lester could accomplish pitching in the National League after posting stellar numbers in the heavy-hitting American League East for so many years.
The Cubs proved they're serious about progressing from the rebuilding stage, luring Joe Maddon to be the team's new manager and making it no secret they're willing to spend big money to improve the club for 2015. Maddon has a reputation for making something out of nothing and has previous experience molding elite left-handed pitching (David Price) in Tampa Bay.
Lester is also a family man, and all those day games at Wrigley Field would allow him to spend more time in the evenings with his loved ones.
Atlanta Braves
Braves GM John Hart met with Lester on Thursday and said it would be a long shot right now for the team to sign him. But Lester makes his offseason home in the Atlanta area and his family probably wouldn't mind year-round Georgia weather.
The Braves appear to be rebuilding for the first time since 2008, but signing a high-profile arm like Lester would restore the team's longstanding reputation as having one of the best pitching staffs in the league year after year. Atlanta freed up some salary by shipping Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals and may not be done dealing some of its other large contracts. Lester could be a realistic signing if Hart can pony up the cash to compete with the Cubs and Red Sox.