Message #1507112

[blue911]

When asked about 7/$168MM, Sabean says Lester eliminated them before they had a chance to make the final offer (i.e., to top 6/$150MM).
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/12/cubs-to-sign-jon-lester.htmlGuess it was not about the max dollars, but the offer had to be in the ballpark.  Sox still low balled by $20MM, so he went with the cubs. 

Really a poorly handled negotiation by the Red Sox over the past year plus.  Lester would have been happy with 5/$110MM extension for 2015-2019 last off season, and the 4/$70MM last year was a stupid opening offer.  Perhaps the real dealing was between SF and the Cubs, with the talk about taking a lower Sox offer more to draw out the final 7th year option and some extra money, but I tend to think another couple million AAV from them would have gotten the deal (6/ $147MM).

Maybe if the entire Red Sox organization wasn't a bunch of flaming jerks he would have stayed.