Larry Lucchino regrets how Red Sox handled Jon Lester talks
How are the Boston Red Sox feeling after losing the Jon Lester sweepstakes to Theo Epstein and the Chicago Cubs? Not very good, according to team president Larry Lucchino.
Speaking at the team’s Christmas at Fenway event on Saturday, Lucchino was forthright and honest in sharing his disappointment with the team’s efforts, stating that they “failed” in their pursuit and that he “had regrets” with how the process played out.
“We didn’t succeed, so I don’t give us a very good grade,” Lucchino said. “We were trying, sincerely, to get him signed, and wanted him to come back here, but free agency is a special opportunity for a player, and it only comes up once or twice if you’re lucky in your career.
“We’re disappointed, certainly have regrets here and there as to how it all went down, but right now I’m trying to focus on the future and want to express a sense of gratitude to Jon Lester for all he did for us, for the horse that he was for us so many years, a successful pitcher and person. I wish him luck. I’m glad it’s in the other league and not our league. That’s cold comfort, but some comfort.”
The biggest regret, of course, would be their initial lowball offer that led to Lester pursuing free agency in the first place. The Red Sox were positioned to extend Lester at any point prior to the 2014 season and seemed to have a good shot with Lester admitting he’d take less money to stay there. However, Boston only offered a four-year deal in the $70-$80 million range, which obviously bypassed “hometown discount” into “we’re done talking” territory.
After shipping Lester to the Oakland A’s at the July 31 trade deadline, Boston had a chance to right their wrong in free agency. With the Cubs and San Francisco Giants also in hot pursuit, the Red Sox entered a final bid at six-years, $135 million. A deal that’s probably comfortably above what Lester would have agreed to in the spring, but it wasn’t enough to top either Chicago or San Francisco’s best bid. The Giants ended up offering the best package, but Lester took Chicago’s six years at $155 million.
“I don’t want to get into a step-by-step dissection through the negotiating process,” he said. “Just look at the end result. We failed to get done what was our goal. So we are subject to criticism, and rightly so, for that. There were so many steps along the way that could’ve gone differently. I’d rather look forward and say, ‘How about that Red Sox starting rotation, how about lineup for next year, how about that offense?’ Let’s accentuate some of the positives that came out of this offseason.”
In the days that followed, Boston did get to work, signing Justin Masterson to a one-year deal worth $9.5 million. They’ve also acquired Wade Miley in a trade with the Diamondbacks and Rick Porcello in a deal with the Detroit Tigers that saw them give up Yoenis Cespedes. The quantity will certainly be there, but it’s fair to question whether they’ll have the quality to keep up in the AL East.
It’s a question we might be pondering right up until opening day. But hey, like Lucchino said, at least Jon Lester didn’t end up in the American League. Which, actually, is probably his way of saying thank goodness the Yankees didn’t dive into the fray. Oh, the regrets he’d have then.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
