Jon Lester is three months from hitting the open market as a free agent and Red Sox president Larry Lucchino revealed during a radio interview that the left-hander has informed the team he won’t negotiate a new contract until after the season.
In other words: He’s going to be a free agent.
According to Lucchino during his appearance on WEEI in Boston “the parties have agreed to let’s step away and do this after the season” because “Jon made very clear to us that that was his preference.”
Lester reportedly rejected a $70 million extension offer from the Red Sox back in April, which isn’t surprising considering the 30-year-old is in line for well over $100 million if he can simply get to the offseason healthy following what’s shaping up to be a career-year.
Lester has a career-low 2.50 ERA in 20 starts, posting a 142/31 K/BB ratio in 137 innings for the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career. He has a sub-4.00 ERA in six of his seven full seasons as a starter, going 99-61 with a 3.54 ERA in 214 total starts during that time while logging at least 190 innings in every season. He might able to double that $70 million offer on the open market.