The belief up here is that ownership likes Lester for the next two or three years at close to $20 mil per, it is the the two or three years beyond that where they are shaky. I get it. You can look at guys who have broken down after age 30 and getting their big pay day. However, I don't agree with this one. He has been remarkable durable over the last few years, the only major "injury" he had was cancer, and he beat the snot out of that. He is 3-0 in the World Series, pitching a clinching game, with an ERA of under 1.00. You know he can pitch in the market, you know he can pitch in big games, and, as MAU said, he's a lefty.
I don't see the end game here. What is the plan? You trade him, and rumors are Lackey perhaps too? Then what? Go out and get Cole Hammels with the prospects you bring in? Isn't that just breaking even? That wreaks of making a move for the sake of making a move. Sign Max Scherzer? Financially, he may cost you more. Promote the young kids and go with a rotation of unproven, but talented kids? This isn't the Marlins, though they are looking like the Marlins in the year following their two World Series.
This team is going to have holes all over it after this season and they can't rely on just prospects to fill them. Yes, Bogarts, JBJ, Vasquez, they are your guys next year who you hope make a big leap. Pedroia and Ortiz are the veteran leaders, but who else? Napoli? Will his body hold up? Who is playing 3b? Middlebrooks? So far he has proven to be a flash in the pan. Corner outfielders? Oh, and starters, let us not forget the starting rotation.
Some people say you take the prospects you get from this week's activities and you go get Stanton from Miami. Great, now you have a corner OF to build around but who is your top starter? Start draining the farm system for both Stanton and Hammels and then fill in around them with bargains like they did in 2013?
