Oakland A’s trade Cespedes for Lester, Gomes

By on July 31, 2014 7:24 AM

Jon Lester, 30, has a 10-7 record this season, with a 2.52 ERA. (AP/Michael Dwyer)

Jon Lester

Jon Lester, 30, has a 10-7 record this season, with a 2.52 ERA. (AP/Michael Dwyer)

The Oakland A’s traded star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for front-line starter Jon Lester and former A’s outfielder Johnny Gomes.

The deal signals the A’s are fully committed to win a championship this season. And Lester, a proven postseason commodity, might just be the kind of starting pitcher the team needs to get that done.
Cespedes, a Cuban defector and fan favorite in Oakland, is hitting .256 this season with 17 home runs in 101 games. The 28-year-old is a hugely talented athlete, with a big arm and great power at the plate. He has hit 66 homers since 2012, when he first signed with the A’s. And he’s won the last two Home Run Derby contests, held at MLB’s annual All-Star Game.

Lester, 30, has a 10-7 record this season, with a 2.52 ERA, for a disappointing Red Sox team. He did not start Wednesday night’s Boston game, in anticipation of a possible trade.

Lester has been with Boston his entire career, putting up a 110-63 career record, with an ERA of 3.63 since coming up in 2002. He’s been an All-Star three times. And he has valuable postseason experience, winning Game Four of the 2007 World Series, which clinched the title for the Red Sox.

Yoenis Cespedes is hitting .256 this season with 17 home runs in 101 games. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Oakland Athletics v New York Mets

Yoenis Cespedes is hitting .256 this season with 17 home runs in 101 games. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Lester will be a free-agent after this season ends, further cementing the idea that A’s GM Billy Beane is all-in on winning the World Series this year. He also acquired pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Cubs earlier in July.

Gomes, a Petaluma native who is 33-years-old, is batting .234 for Boston this season with six home runs. He last played with Oakland in 2012, hitting .262 with 18 home runs. Gomes was a clubhouse leader and huge fan favorite during his time in Oakland. He is expected to join a rotating group of platoon outfielder in manager Bob Melvin’s rotation of players.

The A’s will also receive cash from Boston in the deal, while sending the Red Sox a future draft pick.

Categories: Oakland A's
Al Saracevic