The San Francisco Giants, winners of three of the last five World Series, sustained a major blow when third baseman Pablo Sandoval signed with the Boston Red Sox. The Giants may find a silver lining in that loss though, according to Fox Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal.
With the savings on Sandoval's massive five-year, $100 million contract the reigning champs may be in the market to add ace left-hander Jon Lester, which would serve doubly as a bit of revenge.
#SFGiants also could pursue SP. Savings on Sandoval could put them in play for Lester, says one person with knowledge of club's thinking.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 24, 2014
Lester, 30, is coming off the best season of his career. He went 10-7 with a 2.52 ERA in 21 starts for the Red Sox before a deadline day trade injected him into the American League West pennant chase. Lester then made 11 starts for the Oakland A's, going 6-4 with a 2.35 ERA. He was hit hard in the AL Wildcard game vs. the Kansas City Royals, getting a no-decision after being touched up for six earned runs in 7.1 innings.
Despite the postseason shelling, Lester was by any measure one of baseball's best pitchers in 2014, and he has previous World Series experience to boot. Should the Giants sign him, he'd form a two-headed monster atop San Francisco's rotation with 2014 World Series hero Madison Bumgarner, who has a career 2.14 ERA in 88.1 playoff innings.
The Giants would join the Red Sox and Atlanta Braves as teams rumored to be interested in signing Lester.
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