Rasputin said:So someone put a deadline on an offer. Maybe us, definitely one of the primary contenders.
Very likely this was the message that Henry delivered on Friday.
Rasputin said:So someone put a deadline on an offer. Maybe us, definitely one of the primary contenders.
I would hope not. The lowest bidder imposing a deadline? I can't see the tactic behind it.Rasputin said:So someone put a deadline on an offer. Maybe us, definitely one of the primary contenders.
It makes some sense if they've gone as high as they're going to go. If nothing else, it forces Lester to definitely say "No" to Boston before other teams sweeten their offers and put more distance between the best offers and Boston's. It also allows the FO to focus on other options that much sooner if he's not coming back.rembrat said:I would hope not. The lowest bidder imposing a deadline? I can't see the tactic behind it.
Well, I don't think the Sox are the lowest bidder, but even if they are, I imagine every team places some sort of deadline on their offer. They may have 2 or 3 offers out there to other pitchers/players, and decisions need to be made to shore up other spots on the roster. It would be irresponsible to leave an offer out there indefinitely for the player to accept at their leisure.rembrat said:I would hope not. The lowest bidder imposing a deadline? I can't see the tactic behind it.
IpswichSox said:@JimBowden_ESPN: According to a player...Buster Posey joined the Giants brass in their meeting w/Jon Lester and was really impressive #Giants #Lester
[SIZE=10.5pt]Can somebody translate? Who thought who was impressive? What does impressive even mean in this context? Is it a typo and Bowden meant impressed? That makes more sense, but even then I wonder who was impressed with whom?[/SIZE]IpswichSox said:@JimBowden_ESPN: According to a player...Buster Posey joined the Giants brass in their meeting w/Jon Lester and was really impressive #Giants #Lester
phenweigh said:[SIZE=10.5pt]Can somebody translate? Who thought who was impressive? What does impressive even mean in this context? Is it a typo and Bowden meant impressed? That makes more sense, but even then I wonder who was impressed with whom?[/SIZE]
I thought a reasonable interpretation was if Lester was impressive to Posey there would be reason for the Giants to increase their offer. I think my main mistake was giving a damn about a tweet, but regardless I appreciate the responses. Carry on.Savin Hillbilly said:
The plain grammatical sense is that Posey was impressive. And it seems like a pretty clear inference that Lester and his team were the ones being impressed, since there'd be no reason for the Giants brass to be impressed or for anyone to care if they were.
Carmelo and Jalenjoe dokes said:Has a player *ever* gone to meet with a prospective free agent where it's later reported that the free agent didn't like the guy or that it went badly? A player who's been around as long as Lester knows that every team has great guys and every team has not-great guys, and members of the latter group won't be on the recruting tour.
"Things were going fine for the Orioles in their pursuit of Lester until Luke Scott told the lefty that his cancer was a sign that he didn't really believe in God."
"The Cardinals appeared to have the inside track until AJ Pierzynski appeared in the conference room to greet Lester and tell him how much he looked forward to catching him in St. Louis in 2015."
IpswichSox said:Here's what concerns me about the Lester situation: He clearly isn't motivated by squeezing out the last dollar, and all finalists are likely to be relatively comparable financially. Lester already has two rings. In addition to being on a competitive team generally and playing meaningful games in September and October, what's in Lester's personal interest during the term of his next contract? What's his ultimate goal?
Cooperstown. What deal satisfies Lester financially, ensures as much as one can that the team will be playing meaningful late-season games, and also best positions Lester to put up the kind of numbers that make HoF discussion realistic at the end of the contract? To me, that's clearly San Francisco. Pitching in the National League is best-case scenario from a pitchers' perspective with the shortened lineups and the big ballparks, especially in the NL West. Plus he and his wife likely spent an inordinate amount of time in San Francisco last summer, so they've likely established some level of familiarity with the area.
I have no idea whether Lester values this goal or thinks similarly, but if I'm Seth Levinson, I'm pitching Lester on which contract offers the best glide path for Cooperstown.
One of his comparables on Baseball Reference through age 30 is Andy Pettitte. I don't think it's out of the question that Lester could put together a second half of his career similar to Pettitte's. Pettitte certainly has a sniff of Cooperstown.The Allented Mr Ripley said:He'd have to seriously turn on the jets for a string of years to even have a sniff of Cooperstown. Like better than any year he's ever had, repeated several times. I don't think it's realistic, and while I'm no mind-reader, I don't think it's part of Lester's thought process.
https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/542024441543143424Sources: Lester talks ongoing, but #SFGiants getting serious consideration.
Jaffe did a nice piece indicating Pedro's HOF candidacy will likely reset the parameters for inclusion in the Hall. The win number is going to come down and that will enhance Lester's chances.threecy said:One of his comparables on Baseball Reference through age 30 is Andy Pettitte. I don't think it's out of the question that Lester could put together a second half of his career similar to Pettitte's. Pettitte certainly has a sniff of Cooperstown.
http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/sources-agents-seek-150-million-deal-lesterSAN DIEGO -- Nearly everyone in attendance at the Winter Meetings agrees that free agent Jon Lester represents the key to breaking the pitching logjam across the game. Once he signs, it's believed, a number of other signings and trades will soon follow.
And Monday, there were hints that, finally, the Lester negotiations were coming to a conclusion. Industry sources suggested that Lester could pick his team either Monday or Tuesday.
Meanwhile, executives from one major-league team were told that Lester's agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, were giving the process a little more time in the hopes that one of the four known bidders -- the Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers -- would up their offer to $150 million.
For now, it's believed that no team has gone much beyond $140 million for six seasons. Reaching the $150 million plateau could make the difference in the negotiations. Similarly, a team willing to go to a seventh year -- or a vesting option for a seventh season -- could separate itself from the pack.
Red Sox principal owner John Henry flew to the Atlanta area Friday to make a personal pitch to Lester. Henry, a source said, emphasized to Lester the importance of burnishing his legacy and going down in history as one of the franchise's greatest pitchers.
It's unknown whether Henry sweetened the Red Sox' contractual offer, which is thought be in the $130 million neighborhood. Nor is clear whether the Red Sox contingent here, led by general manager Ben Cherington, is willing to up the team's offer.
67WasBest said:Jaffe did a nice piece indicating Pedro's HOF candidacy will likely reset the parameters for inclusion in the Hall. The win number is going to come down and that will enhance Lester's chances.
RedOctober3829 said:http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/sources-agents-seek-150-million-deal-lester
Red Sox principal owner John Henry flew to the Atlanta area Friday to make a personal pitch to Lester. Henry, a source said, emphasized to Lester the importance of burnishing his legacy and going down in history as one of the franchise's greatest pitchers
soxhop411 said:“@pgammo: Told Red Sox have several plans, like Hamels if Lester goes to SF tomorrow, career 17.1 IP, 1 R in AT&T.”
Good overall situation -- strong team, a manager that pitchers seem to love, great signal caller in Posey, an incumbent ace to take the pressure off, great town (to be rich in), all the benefits of a rabid fanbase when things are good with less downside when things aren't (compared to Boston), closer to home without seeing mom & dad every day, and the chance to pad out his stats pitching in a very friendly park. Also, lots of money, obviously.Rudy Pemberton said:Not sure what the Giants approach is...being part of a dynasty?
DrewDawg said:
Well, the 17.1 IP is completely meaningless, but is Gammons saying we will hear an answer tomorrow?
No doubt Pedro will always be an outlier, he was so damn good. What Jaffe is getting at is the 300 wins is about done as a standard and it takes a guy like Pedro to open people's eyes to the need to develop a new wins standard for the way baseball is played today. Your number of 250 sounds right.Savin Hillbilly said:
True, but Lester will not have the kind of transcendent rate stats or utterly dominating peak that Pedro did. He's going to have to get in there on longevity and consistency (and rings). I think he needs 250 wins. If he can pitch till he's 40 and decline slowly, he's got an outside shot at that.
250? He only needs 193 to be the winningest pitcher in Red Sox history. If he signs for six years with the Sox, he'll have to average about 14 wins per season to hit that mark.Savin Hillbilly said:
True, but Lester will not have the kind of transcendent rate stats or utterly dominating peak that Pedro did. He's going to have to get in there on longevity and consistency (and rings). I think he needs 250 wins. If he can pitch till he's 40 and decline slowly, he's got an outside shot at that.
67WasBest said:No doubt Pedro will always be an outlier, he was so damn good. What Jaffe is getting at is the 300 wins is about done as a standard and it takes a guy like Pedro to open people's eyes to the need to develop a new wins standard for the way baseball is played today. Your number of 250 sounds right.
I feel like it's so hard to know...with so little information available, it's easy to overread/see more than may be there (I know I do this). I do know that this wait is pretty brutal.manny said:
Multiple reports have indicated a decision by sometime tomorrow. Is it me or does all the momentum seem to be pointing towards San Francisco?
I think that's at the root of the Olney voting strike. Develop a real criteria, get rid of the dinosaurs that haven't watched a game in 20 years, and bring in the new breed of analytic people with a real passion for the game.derekson said:
Or we could just stop using wins as a standard at all because they are a junk stat. Obviously there are plenty of current HOF voters who will never move beyond using wins, but by the time Lester retires and becomes eligible for HOF ballots a lot of those guys will have died off and been replaced by younger voters that will hopefully be more cognizant of what statistics are actually worthwhile in evaluating players.
Tyrone Biggums said:Maybe it's nothing but I read on rotoworld that the Sox just outrighted Weeks to clear a 40 man spot. This would seem odd unless something might be occurring.
3 days ago was the same day as "The Meeting". Curious to do this now as opposed to having an agreement already in place to sign someone.TomRicardo said:
He had to be placed on waivers three days ago...
Corsi said:
Jon Heyman @JonHeymanCBS 4m4 minutes ago
interested parties believe the eagerly awaited lester call could come as early as tomorrow #redsox #cubs #SFGiants #dodgers
Actually, I believe that "interested parties" refers to the teams making offers. They have been given to understand that Lester will decide by tomorrow. Then again, he may not, damn him.joe dokes said:
"Interested parties believe". So basically, he's talking about us.
That's an "I dont know anything, but I have to tweet something" tweet if I ever saw one.
Bullshit. Why don't we see what he signs for before with rage against the sox.jsinger121 said:Red Sox have no one to blame but themselves with their crappy spring training offer.