Trade Deadline: Red Sox Deal John Lackey And Jon Lester
Believed to be sellers in the market, the Boston Red Sox were busy the morning of Thursday’s non-wavier trade deadline. Having already traded Jake Peavy to the San Francisco Giants July 26, the Red Sox made John Lackey and Jon Lester available.
Despite being in the final year of his contract, there wasn’t a lack of interest for Lester, who has a proven postseason track record.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals were believed to be among the teams who coveted the left-hander, but it was the Oakland Athletics who pulled off the trade, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com:
Trying to confirm, but hearing Lester and Gomes might be moving for Cespedes
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 31, 2014
Confirmed.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 31, 2014
Speier also reported the Cardinals also received Corey Littrell:
Sources: Red Sox are sending LHP Corey Littrell to Cardinals as part of the Lackey deal. 2013 5th rounder out of Kentucky
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 31, 2014
Once the Red Sox acquired Yoenis Cespedes, they quickly went to work on moving Lackey. The right-hander was traded to the Cardinals in exchange for Allen Craig and Joe Kelly, reported MLB analyst Peter Gammons:
Sox get Kelly, Craig for Lackey
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) July 31, 2014
Lackey is 11-7 this season with a 3.60 ERA and is under team control next season for $500,000. Lackey is the second starting pitcher the Cardinals have acquired in the last two days, with the first being Justin Masterson from the Cleveland Indians.
While the Red Sox are in last place in the American League East, they’ve quickly added talent to their roster. Furthermore, in sending Lester to the cost-conscious As, they haven’t completely eliminated themselves from re-signing the left-hander in the off-season.
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