Jon Lester Signs With Washington Nationals
BOSTON (CBS) -- There were some rumblings that maybe Jon Lester would return to Boston and finish his career where it started. But the Red Sox reportedly never reached out to the veteran lefty, and Lester has now agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals.
Lester's deal with the Nats was first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, and is a straight one-year contract without an option. The 37-year-old Lester is in line to be Washington's fourth starter behind ace Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg.
The 2021 season will be Lester's 16th in the majors. He owns a 193-111 record and a 3.60 ERA with the Red Sox, the Oakland Athletics and the Chicago Cubs. He threw 61 innings over 12 starts for Chicago in the shortened 2020 season, finishing the campaign with a career-high 5.16 ERA.
Lester is best known for his postseason heroics, winning a pair of World Series titles in Boston and another in Chicago. The southpaw owns a 2.51 ERA over 154 playoff innings.
While Boston could certain use another veteran arm for its rotation, the Red Sox never reached out to Lester this offseason, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford.