McAdam: Red Sox Clubhouse Prepared For Lester Trade
BOSTON (CBS) -- The MLB trade deadline is just a few days away, and all signs point to the Red Sox being sellers ahead of 4 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
Names like John Lackey, Jonny Gomes, Stephen Drew and Andrew Miller are swirling around the rumor mills, and the Red Sox are likely listening to any and all offers from other teams. At just 48-58 and 11 back in the AL East and 8.5 back in the AL Wild Card standings, it's pretty clear the Red Sox are ready to sell, says CSNNE's Sean McAdam.
"It's not any more complicated than the fact that the Red Sox have an 'Open For Business' sign going, and are sitting back and listening to what is out there," McAdam told Adam Jones and Dave Goucher (filling in for Toucher & Rich) on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Tuesday. "They've definitely shifted in the last three or four days to a much more aggressive sell mode, and now it's a matter of other teams meeting the asking price."
While teams are interested, McAdam doesn't think the Red Sox will sell off many big names like they did in August 2012. But with Jon Lester set to become a free agent and the Red Sox letting teams know their ace is available this week, McAdam thinks the lefty is in his final days with the team.
"I supposed anything is possible at this point, but once a team starts engaging clubs it's hard to stop that momentum. You're committed to listening, weighing different offers... when you make that kind of commitment and are in 'sell mode' like this, I think it's difficult for the buzzer to sound and you get up from the table and say 'nope, we didn't like anything we heard,'" he said. "Psychologically, I think that clubhouse is prepared for Lester to go. Maybe even Jon himself is prepared.
"It's a hard thing to pull up short on so I'd be surprised if he doesn't go," said McAdam.
Lester has made it clear that he wants to be in Boston, and even hinted over the weekend that he could return even if he's traded ahead of the deadline. But the Red Sox haven't made a big push to re-sign Lester this season, and McAdam doesn't think that will change once he hits the open market.
"Lester continues to show at every turn that this is his first choice," said McAdam. "There is no mistaking that he really wants to stay here. To me, whether it's now or after the season, that's a pretty good head start on trying to get something done. But the longer this goes the more you start to get the sense the Red Sox are simply not willing to go where they need to go.
"I don't understand that," said McAdam. "Yes, anytime you commit to a pitcher who has already hit that magical 30 mark there is a risk, but there is a risk to every contract you do. It seems to me that Jon Lester is a pretty good risk given his durability and his history."
Sean McAdam On MLB Trade Deadline
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