The Braves met as planned with Jon Lester on Thursday, though it wasn’t clear whether progress was made toward signing the left-hander who’s among the three best starting pitchers on the free-agent market.
They didn’t make an offer during the afternoon lunch and meeting with Lester and his agent, but the Braves’ revamped and aggressive front office heads laid out the plans and goals for the team as it goes through a transition period aimed at being a consistent championship contender by the time they move into a new ballpark in 2017.
Braves president of baseball operations John Hart has said they didn’t plan to pursue “top tier” free-agent starting pitchers this winter because of finances and various needs. Lester is certainly in the highest tier — James Shields, Max Scherzer and he are onsidered the best three free-agent starters.
Lester, who’ll be 31 in January, went 16-11 with a 2.46 ERA and 220 strikeouts in 219 2/3 innings for Boston and Oakland, including 6-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 11 starts after a July trade to the Athletics.
He has a 116-67 record and 3.58 ERA in nine seasons, all with Boston before the trade to Oakland. In seven full seasons, the three-time All-Star has won at least 15 games six times, pitched at least 200 innings six times, and posted 220 or more strikeouts three times.
With Lester’s longtime former team Boston and the suddenly ready-to-spend Chicago Cubs in pursuit of the lefty along with possibly St. Louis and others, the Red Sox’s reported initial offer of $110-120 million over six years could be just a starting point in a bidding war that might climb toward $25 million annually. If the bidding reaches those prices, the possibility of landing Lester might be a longshot at best for the Braves.
However, there’s a reason the Braves can be serious players in this if they want to be: Lester, his wife and two young boys make their offseason home just outside Peachtree City, about 30 minutes from downtown Atlanta. Spending time with his family is a priority for Lester, a cancer survivor who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma during his 2006 rookie year, and just over a year later pitched the clinching game in the 2007 World Series.
If he would take a little less to pitch in Atlanta, and maybe a backloaded contract to coincide with their move to a new ballpark, the Braves might be able to fit him into their payroll.
Because he was traded to Oakland at midseason, Lester wasn’t eligible for a qualifying offer and thus won’t cost a draft pick for any team that signs him. That’s crucial for the Braves, who don’t want to forfeit any draft picks as they rebuild their team and restock their minor league system.
