Red Sox agree with Jon Lester for 5 year extension

[xmuscularghandix]

5 years, 30 million contract extension.


Now they've gotten Youkilis, Pedroia, and Lester locked up long-term. I really hope Jason Bay is next.

[Roy Hobbs]

Very, very reasonable deal.  I know they're mostly buying out his arb years, but an AAV of $6 million is a good deal for the Sox.

[Redz]

The Sox with another great deal on one of their "system" guys

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

Some may not like the Sox offseason moves, which is fine, but I don't think any reasonable fan can disagree with the Youkilis, Pedroia, and Lester signings. Tremendous long term moves to wrap up three players that will now all spend their primes in Boston. EXCELLENT decisions

[earl]

Wow, that is a pretty [dang] good deal. Lester is a guy who could command 8-10 mil at least in a couple years, to have him locked up for 3 more at 6 mil is pretty good.

Is this Bay's last year on his deal?

[Chris]

Is this Bay's last year on his deal?

Yeah, Bay will be a FA next winter.  Reportedly he has been talking with the Sox about a long term deal though, so hopefully they will wrap him up as well.

[yall hate]

good deal for the sox.  Some people over at SOSH are raising some good points about the fact that the Sox likely arent 'saving' that much money with the pre arb/arb years, but I like the deal.

Ervin Santana got a 4 year 30 million deal from the Angels.  I like Lester more then Santana, and Lester is less injury prone. 

Plus, the 5 year deal has a sox option for an extra year at like 11.5 million or something like that.

[Roy Hobbs]

good deal for the sox.  Some people over at SOSH are raising some good points about the fact that the Sox likely arent 'saving' that much money with the pre arb/arb years, but I like the deal.

Cole Hamels has the same amount of service time, I believe, and signed a 3 year, $20.5 million deal.  Statistically, Hamels and Lester are about equal; certainly, Hamels would be seen as setting the market for Lester.  It can be argued, then, that the Sox got two extra years of Lester -- including a free agency year -- for $9.5 million.  That's a tremendous deal to me.  I'm not sure what the SOSH folks are complaining about; I think some of them just like to feel smarter than the average fan, and thus take positions against the conventional wisdom.

[MBz]

Though the Sox aren't saving money, they are showing Lester that they want to invest in him and want him to be the ace of this staff.  It's a good move in my opinion, he's earned it.

[yall hate]

good deal for the sox.  Some people over at SOSH are raising some good points about the fact that the Sox likely arent 'saving' that much money with the pre arb/arb years, but I like the deal.

Cole Hamels has the same amount of service time, I believe, and signed a 3 year, $20.5 million deal.  Statistically, Hamels and Lester are about equal; certainly, Hamels would be seen as setting the market for Lester.  It can be argued, then, that the Sox got two extra years of Lester -- including a free agency year -- for $9.5 million.  That's a tremendous deal to me.  I'm not sure what the SOSH folks are complaining about; I think some of them just like to feel smarter than the average fan, and thus take positions against the conventional wisdom.

oh I agree.  Their basic contention is that if Lester pitches like a number 1 or 2, the amount he would make in Arb isnt much different then what they gave him.  so they 'take the risk'.  They basically feel the sox should have waited a year or two, and then looked for the extension.

but my take on it is if you have faith he is going to continue to get better, they obviously came to an amount they were comfortable with. 

[Quinn]

lester's going to continue to emerge to be the best southpaw in the league.
I really, really, really like his stuff.
really