Johnston & Flynn were filling in for Toucher & Rich this morning on 98.5, and during the show they spoke with Peter Abraham regarding a possible Lester extension, then discussed the topic themselves for a while afterwards. Abraham said that the Sox will definitely talk to Lester about it in the offseason (Cherington's confirmed this), and that Lester is open to the possibility, as per this interview with WEEI:
He already signed an extension in 2009, so he's shown in the past that he's willing to forgo top dollar for security (unlike Paps and Ellsbury), but that may be the very reason he tests the market after this year: he gave the Sox their hometown discount and he's now financially set for life regardless of what happens now (security is no longer an issue), so he might as well go for top dollar. He may simply want to see what the market will bear, if only to drive up any Red Sox offer that he ultimately plans to accept.
Lester's not a true ace, but few pitchers are. He's the next best thing, a #1A, and his postseason track record will surely be a factor in any contract negotiations. The baseline seems to be Cole Hamels' contract, per the Herald:
Is this a valid comp? Discuss.
"We’ll decide to sit down and talk," Lester said on WEEI. "I assume it would be some form of communication, I would imagine hopefully in Spring Training. Obviously, Boston is my home. This is all I’ve known, all I’ve come accustomed to and all I want to know. My family enjoys it up there I enjoy it up there. There are a lot of factors in it.
"But at the same time, there’s a business side of it. Kind of like Jacoby, I have to do what’s best for me and same thing with the Red Sox. Sometimes you have to part ways, hopefully that’s not the case when it comes down to us here in the future."
He already signed an extension in 2009, so he's shown in the past that he's willing to forgo top dollar for security (unlike Paps and Ellsbury), but that may be the very reason he tests the market after this year: he gave the Sox their hometown discount and he's now financially set for life regardless of what happens now (security is no longer an issue), so he might as well go for top dollar. He may simply want to see what the market will bear, if only to drive up any Red Sox offer that he ultimately plans to accept.
Lester's not a true ace, but few pitchers are. He's the next best thing, a #1A, and his postseason track record will surely be a factor in any contract negotiations. The baseline seems to be Cole Hamels' contract, per the Herald:
During his daily winter meetings briefing with reporters Tuesday, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said the club intends to broach the subject of a contract extension for playoff ace Jon Lester later in the offseason or in spring training.
And if the sides are seeking a basis of comparison for their negotiations, they need only look to the Philadelphia Phillies' dealings with Cole Hamels.
Hamels and Lester have followed almost the same career path, their similarities extending far beyond their status as left-handed pitchers with strong postseason pedigrees. Hamels is only 12 days older than Lester and made his major league debut one month earlier in the 2006 season. Hamels is 99-74 with a 3.38 ERA and 1,509 strikeouts in 1,596.2 career innings; Lester is 100-56 with a 3.76 ERA and 1,237 strikeouts in 1,376.1 career innings. Hamels went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA en route to leading the Phillies to the 2008 World Series title; Lester went 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA en route to leading the Red Sox to the 2013 World Series title.
Then, there's this: In January 2009, three seasons into his major league career and a few months after the Phillies won the crown, Hamels signed a team-friendly, three-year contract extension that essentially bought out his arbitration years for $20.5 million. Two months later, three seasons into his major league career and two years after winning the clinching game of the 2007 World Series, Lester agreed to a team-friendly, five-year contract extension worth $30 million.
So, with Lester set to turn 30 next month and free agency looming at the conclusion of next season, he can reasonably seek a contract that resembles the six-year, $144 million deal that Hamels signed with the Phillies in July 2012, when he was 28 and facing free agency.
Is this a valid comp? Discuss.