While he remains skeptical,
Tony Massarotti (of The Boston Globe and 98.5 The Sports Hub) believes the Red Sox (at least the baseball operations people) legitimately want Jon Lester back next year. Whether the NOG will
really abandon their 1960s-like
"Don't Trust Anyone Over 30" policy remains to be seen, but apparently, the organization is leaking the idea that they really do want their lefty back. Says Massarotti,
"I still doubt it and I’ll believe it when I see it. But it’s one of two things: they have legitimately concocted a conspiracy. They went to Lester ahead of time and said, ‘We want to bring you back, but in the short term it makes sense to trade you. We can go get a bat that helps you next year and beyond. Don’t take it personally we’ll see you in November.’ I think it’s possible that it’s either a conspiracy, or the Red Sox are trying to cover their a**. They’re telling everybody this now so they look good when they eventually lose him, and they can say, ‘Well the market just went haywire.' It’s one thing to make a run at him, and it’s one thing to seal the deal. You never know. It’s possible. But I think deep down they don’t want to pay him."
