Jon Lester is reportedly not returning to the Boston Red Sox.
Lester is expected to make a decision about his future this week, and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that the 30-year-old lefthander has narrowed his suitors down to the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs.
Lester’s agent, Seth Levinson, quickly denied that the Red Sox have been removed from consideration. He told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford that any report about the Giants and Cubs being the two finalists is “absolutely untrue.”
In addition, Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com adds that Lester’s agents still intend to meet with the Red Sox on Monday night. If Boston has been removed from the running, the team has not been informed.
Rosenthal is one of the most reliable reporters in baseball, so he had to have gotten his initial report from a good source. It’s quite possible that Lester has decided he wants to pitch in the National League and is simply stringing the Red Sox along to drive up the price and/or make sure he has a backup plan if something suddenly changes.
