Report: Red Sox Not Among Jon Lester's Final Choices
BOSTON (CBS) -- Jon Lester's future with the Boston Red Sox may be nonexistent after all.
With a decision expected in the coming 24 hours, Lester is only considering the Cubs and Giants, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Chicago and San Francisco have been front-runners throughout the process of courting Lester, but the Red Sox were believed to be major players as well.
Yet, "barring late change," the Red Sox are reportedly out of the mix.
Shortly after the news was reported, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald tweeted that the Red Sox were unaware of any such development.
Source: If Lester has said he won't sign w #RedSox (per @Ken_Rosenthal) it is news to them. They have not been notified.
— Michael Silverman (@MikeSilvermanBB) December 8, 2014
Lester, the 30-year-old lefty, was traded by Boston to Oakland last July after the Red Sox and Lester made little to no progress on contract extension talks through spring training and the first half of the season. Lester, who was drafted by the Red Sox and came up through Boston's system, left open the door that he'd be willing to return to Boston and that he wouldn't need to be "blown away" by a free-agent offer.
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