Goodness, could Lester be playing this any more perfectly? He has stated all along he wants to stay here. He's adamant. Hometown discount and all. Then it gets leaked (by whom? haha) that he was offered just 4/70, but he makes no public statement about it at all. No sign of bitterness. No sign of insult. Just reiterates that he wants to be here. His camp expresses that he'd have taken Homer Bailey money. Which, as the market unfolds, IS a heck of a hometown discount. He stays the course. Pitches his rear end off, having the best season of his career. Trade rumors swirl. Sox don't offer another deal. Larry says no negotiations until the season is over. Hamels is mentioned. Lee is mentioned. Lester then says, yeah, if I'm traded, I'd love to come back to Boston, and I understand that the Sox need to do what's best.
I mean, good grief. He's handling this as well as any player I've ever seen. It would be amazing to trade him and get back a top prospect (Pederson, etc.) and then re-sign him, even at big money, in the offseason. I don't think that happens, but there is NO FREAKING WAY he can be vilified on the way out, can he? No way. Not the way he's been pitching, his stellar postseason record, his overcoming cancer, and the way he's handled all this. No way.