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The shopping may begin. Jon Lester had to sign with a club in order for the Cole Hamels market to really heat up. After considering the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox, Lester has found a new home.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports:
Sources: Lester to #Cubs.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 10, 2014
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that the deal is for six years and $155 million, an average annual value of $26 million per season.
Cole Hamels has four years and $96 million left on his deal. Any team acquring Hamels will have to give up some top prospects to acquire him. However, the alternatives may scare teams off. Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers is reportedly asking for as much as $200 million. Hamels may appear to be a bargain.
The Boston Red Sox may be most desperate. They were not able to land their former ace Lester, and are under pressure to win in 2015, having spent millions to re-sign their former shortstop Hanley Ramirez and sign free agent Pablo Sandoval. Earlier today, Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington said that he was looking to sign three starters. Stay tuned.
