At this moment, all we know is what the able Jeff Passan is reporting:
Source: Jon Lester has been traded.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2014
The details will, I’d imagine, be forthcoming. Unless Lester will start wearing a disguise so ingenious that we never figure out which team he’s pitching for.
UPDATE: Passan’s source is either a slippery beast, or Passan is having some fun with us all:
Lester going to a team on the West Coast.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2014
That would take the Pirates and Cardinals out of the equation, unfortunately.
UPDATE 2 (8:44am CT): Jon Heyman suggests it could be the A’s, and I suggest that Jason Hammel’s extreme struggles could have forced the move. But what do the A’s have left to trade for a top arm like Lester?
UPDATE 3 (8:48am CT): Well, this would certainly be way outside the box:
Trying to confirm, but hearing Lester and Gomes might be moving for Cespedes
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 31, 2014
The A’s would be taking the downgrade from Cespedes (and losing the one more year of control) to Gomes in exchange for the stretch run of Lester. Worth it? Probably. Would be an interesting deal for the Red Sox, though, as they’d be getting only one year of Cespedes (2015).
UPDATE 4 (8:51am CT): Yup, this is happening. The A’s get a couple months of Lester and Gomes for 1.3 years of Cespedes (who makes $10.5 million this and next year before reaching free agency because of his special deal). Really, really interesting trade.
UPDATE 5 (8:54am CT): Passan adds that the Red Sox are getting the A’s recently-received 2015 competitive balance pick (after second round, not hugely valuable), and are sending some cash to the A’s.
UPDATE 6 (8:58am CT): Ok, your quick and dirty trade implications … so the Cardinals and Pirates don’t get Lester, and they’re now left without a great, obviously-available upgrade on the market (John Lackey, maybe? David Price seems unlikely to be dealt). That kind of sucks for asset-depletion purposes (as far as the Cubs are concerned). Lester is a lock to reach free agency now, as there’s no way the A’s will extend him. The A’s now have a loaded rotation, and if Gomes isn’t a total disaster, they just got a lot better (again). The Red Sox’s main return is a guy they’ll have for 2015, only, which means they’ll go into the offseason wanting to add and win.