When we talk about pitching in baseball, one common phrase we always hear is, “you can never have enough pitching.” This is a phrase we hear time in and time out, a phrase which holds great importance and a world of truth – you can never have enough pitching.
When it comes to the Boston Red Sox, the organization is loaded with several young arms, all of whom are projected to have enough talent where they can contribute at the big league level. Some of these young arms include the likes of Matt Barnes, Anthony Ranaudo, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, Henry Owens, and Brandon Workman. Of course, you also have your two veterans in Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly. With all these arms on the roster, perhaps several capable of manning a rotation spot, you would think the Red Sox are all set starting pitching wise, right?
WRONG! During the course of a highly disappointing 2014 Red Sox season, we had the opportunity to see several of the Red Sox young arms, however, nobody in particular stood out as impressive, at least enough to guarantee himself a spot in the 2015 Red Sox rotation. Despite the slew of arms, the Red Sox need at least one (if not two) front of the line starting pitchers for the 2015 season. Why not occupy one of those spots with none other than Jon Lester?
Sure, it is unheard of for a player to resign with his former team just months after trading him away. However, a Lester return to the Red Sox makes worlds of sense. While Lester will likely receive at least a six-year deal on the open market for at least $20 million per year, the Red Sox probably aren’t willing to go to that extent. Lester has indicated all along that if the Red Sox make a competitive offer, he would take a hometown discount to play in Boston.
What would a competitive offer look like? If the Red Sox were to offer a deal of five years (with a sixth year option) in the neighborhood of $22 million per year, I fully believe Lester would take it and return to Boston.
Going into the 2015 season, the Red Sox need a starting pitcher who can anchor the front of the rotation, handle the Boston atmosphere and pressure, and someone who has a great track record. When attempting to answer all of these questions, there is one pitcher whose name comes up in each answer: Jon Lester.