Lester's agent denies report disclosing contract Red Sox ace seeks

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Jon Lester's agent denied a published report from The Boston Globe that claimed the pitcher's representatives informed the Boston Red Sox what it would take to sign him - $22 million to $24 million annually - and the number prompted the club's decision to trade him.

"The discussions we had with the Red Sox were confidential and will remain that way,'' Lester's agent Seth Levinson wrote in an email to ESPN on Tuesday. "There is no truth to the report, and I am not going to guess why it was written or the basis for that report.''

From ESPN's Gordon Edes:

The Boston Globe reported Tuesday that the Red Sox had been informed of what kind of contract the pitcher has been seeking "and that led to the team putting its ace on the trade market." The story, citing a major-league source, went on to say that Lester was seeking "a competitive offer consistent with the market."

Lester maintains the position he took in the spring, that he wouldn't negotiate with the club until after the season. According to Edes, Red Sox executives approached Lester's camp around the All-Star break to discuss reopening talks for the lefty, but he "remained firm" in his desire to finish his season.