Should the Sox trade Lester?
Conor Frederick
Contributing Writer
It's no secret that Jon Lester has had his struggles this season. After getting off to a flying 6-0 start, he's been 2-6 with a 6.27 ERA over his last 11 starts, according to CSNNE. Talk about a downhill slide. So, the question becomes do we use him as a bargaining chip in a possible trade? He has a $13 million option for next year, but it seems less and less likely that the organization will want to go that route, given his problems. I think most of Red Sox Nation is losing patience with him. I know I am, even though he was one of my favorite pitchers for a long time. I'd still like to see him turn it around, but it seems unlikely. So, back to the original question: Could we trade him? I think we could and get another solid starter to replace him. Like I said, the team probably (probably, mind you) won't pick up his option.
We could either try and get something for him, at least for the rest of this season, or we could let him walk. That is assuming he keeps pitching the way he has in the last couple months. The second half of the season has only just started. He could still turn it around before the season ends. If that happens, the Sox would be more likely to pick up his option. A big part of me hopes he can turn it around because I still believe he can be an ace, but he's obviously not pitching like it right now. The best option, I think, would be to trade him and get something for him in return, while he still might be worth something. If he can't pick it up, we won't get anything later in the year. Always assuming, of course, a suitable candidate emerges at some point before the deadline or later in the year.
Tweet me @ConorJF1016 or leave a comment below with your thoughts.
Contributing Writer
It's no secret that Jon Lester has had his struggles this season. After getting off to a flying 6-0 start, he's been 2-6 with a 6.27 ERA over his last 11 starts, according to CSNNE. Talk about a downhill slide. So, the question becomes do we use him as a bargaining chip in a possible trade? He has a $13 million option for next year, but it seems less and less likely that the organization will want to go that route, given his problems. I think most of Red Sox Nation is losing patience with him. I know I am, even though he was one of my favorite pitchers for a long time. I'd still like to see him turn it around, but it seems unlikely. So, back to the original question: Could we trade him? I think we could and get another solid starter to replace him. Like I said, the team probably (probably, mind you) won't pick up his option.
We could either try and get something for him, at least for the rest of this season, or we could let him walk. That is assuming he keeps pitching the way he has in the last couple months. The second half of the season has only just started. He could still turn it around before the season ends. If that happens, the Sox would be more likely to pick up his option. A big part of me hopes he can turn it around because I still believe he can be an ace, but he's obviously not pitching like it right now. The best option, I think, would be to trade him and get something for him in return, while he still might be worth something. If he can't pick it up, we won't get anything later in the year. Always assuming, of course, a suitable candidate emerges at some point before the deadline or later in the year.
Tweet me @ConorJF1016 or leave a comment below with your thoughts.
