Kuzul

Jon Lester is a rental.

There seems to be a rather potent stigma around the R-word at this point in baseball, but rarely do contenders have such an open shot at acquiring a legitimate ace to only further the short-term agenda.

It hurts to surrender future assets and perhaps impede championship efforts in the long run, especially if a rental chooses to bolt town after a few months of service, but Lester is the rare rental who is worth almost any magnitude of investment.

By all accounts, Lester is very much available. The 30-year-old hurler turned down a four-year, $70 million offer last spring and has been subsequently thrown on the trade block. Although his agent wants the world to know that Lester’s presence there has nothing to do with contract talks.

“The discussions we had with the Red Sox were confidential and will remain that way,” Seth Levinson, Lester’s agent, wrote in an email Tuesday to ESPN’s Gordon Edes. “There is no truth to the report, and I am not going to guess why it was written or the basis for that report.”

Lester is in the final year of a deal that pays him $13 million, per Spotrac. As the alleged declined offer shows, he is going to be quite pricey once he actually hits the market, although he has the results through recent years to back up the asking price:

The caveat being that any team that wants to inherit this production has to understand that this is different from a normal rental—Lester has not outright confirmed he will not re-up with a new team, but it is not often we hear about a player willing to go back to the team that dealt him away, as captured by Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com:

Yeah, why not? I mean, (Boston) is what I know, this is what I love. Like I’ve said plenty of times, this is where I want to be. And if they trade me I completely understand. No hard feelings. I know what they have to do for their organization and if that involves me, so be it. If it doesn’t I’ll keep running out there every five days and pitching.

Not convincing enough that Lester has Boston on the mind? Try this:

Ultimately, baseball is a business. It makes sense for the Red Sox—fifth in the AL East—to begin a bidding war and gain a bevy of assets though his departure rather than minuscule compensation should he leave via free agency and sign somewhere else.

What a war it has become too.

Just ask ESPN’s Jim Bowden:

Go ahead and add the Pittsburgh Pirates to the fray as well, per Jeff Passan and Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.

Let’s glance at those Pirates for a moment. Stuck in the quagmire that is the NL Central, they still have a shot at the top spot and very much a shot at the World Series. An addition such as Lester would work wonders, and the front office has a deep farm to pull from in negotiations, even if the front office does not have a July track record that suggests a deal will go down.

The allure of a title, though, has to be palpable. Will it ever get closer than this in the foreseeable future? Perhaps burning through prospects for the best shot the club will see for years is not such a horrific gamble.

Such is the dilemma a host of contenders face. The Milwaukee Brewers lack high-end assets to surrender but knows a thing or two about pulling the trigger on such a deal about six years removed from the CC Sabathia transaction.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays seem to be in on everyone and have assets to burn, as does Seattle, although the Mariners need more bats than arms at the moment if one had to put an annotation on it.

It is a fickle game of “what if” to be sure, and the brass in the Red Sox front office surely kick themselves daily for low balling Lester so much last spring. But they have had the proper reaction to the chain of events and seem set to deal to the highest bidder.

Which bidder that turns out to be is perhaps the biggest storyline as the month of July, and the trade deadline, fades to black. Lester is relatively young, a proven playoff winner (one loss in five tries last postseason) and undeniably a No. 1 in about any rotation in the league.

The Red Sox seem to have overplayed their hand in negotiations but will reap the benefits when a contender finally takes the dive. Lester is the best kind of rental, especially if he turns out to like his new home and the boatload of cash his new team backs up to his, well, rental.

Until something happens, that line will only get longer and the price will only get higher.

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With the nonwaiver trade deadline just around the corner, MLB trade rumors are swirling around at a furious pace. One such rumor that has gained a lot of momentum over the past few days is the potential dealing of Boston Red Sox ace Jon Lester.

With the Sox out of contention, it appears as though the team may be willing to move the impending free agent.

One team at the forefront of the Lester discussions? According to CSN New England’s Sean McAdam, the Toronto Blue Jays are in hot pursuit of the southpaw.

He also mentions the fact that the Sox would be willing to move their ace within the AL East (though not to the New York Yankees, who would have the financial muscle to re-sign the Washington native).

Acquiring Lester makes sense on multiple fronts for the Jays.

First, there’s the fact that McAdam mentions that the Baltimore Orioles are interested in adding Lester to their starting rotation.

Those same Orioles are just 2.5 games ahead of Toronto in the AL East entering Tuesday. Allowing the team you’re in direct competition with for a division title to bring in one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game would be a major blow to your aspirations of winning the East.

Adding him to the Jays rotation would give them the legitimate ace the team needs and would also provide them with an upgrade on J.A. Happ as the team’s second starting southpaw.

Lester would also be a great insurance policy should the club fail to win the division and end up playing in the Wild Card Game.

Imagine the Blue Jays secured the second wild-card position and had to square off against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the right to play in the ALDS.

Right now, there isn’t a Jays starter who would have the baseball world believing they could win that matchup.

R.A. Dickey, Drew Hutchison and Happ are far too inconsistent and Mark Buehrle’s performance has fallen back to earth. Marcus Stroman has been sensational in his time as a starting pitcher, but he’s a rookie with only 10 career starts under his belt.

Contrast them with the likes of Jered Weaver or Garrett Richards and an objective observer would have to give the Angels the edge on the mound—their lineup can also compete with Toronto’s.

This is where Lester would make a huge difference for Toronto. In a do-or-die situation, having a bona fide ace who has pitched in the World Series could make all the difference in the world.

The other encouraging part of this potential deal for Lester is that it’s a realistic acquisition for the Jays.

Not only is his contract for $13 million this season (over half of which has already elapsed), but he would be a rental-type player, meaning Toronto may only have to part with one top-tier prospect and one or two lesser ones.

If they can keep Aaron Sanchez, who has impressed in the bullpen, as well as Stroman, who’s been lights out in the rotation, it should be a no-brainer for the Blue Jays’ front office.

Any deal would likely have to include the organization’s No. 1 prospect, Daniel Norris. That shouldn’t be too much of a concern though, seeing as he’s struggling since his promotion to Double-A New Hampshire and probably won’t be ready to contribute until 2016—after Toronto’s proverbial three-year window of contention.

If Toronto is serious about making a run in the playoffs, adding Lester to a rotation already comprised of a reliable Buehrle, the up-and-coming Stroman and one-time ace Dickey is a necessity.

Jon Reid is a contributor for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @JonReidCSM.

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The 2014 MLB trade deadline is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, and as it is every season, the rumors have started to come fast and furious from all corners of the sport.

With huge names like A.J. Burnett, Jon Lester, Matt Kemp and Jonathan Papelbon potentially on the move, the landscape of baseball could shift if the rumored trades come to fruition before the deadline.

Here are the latest reports from around Major League Baseball.

Phillies and Pirates Hammering Out Deal for A.J. Burnett?

The Philadelphia Phillies currently hold a 46-60 regular-season record, meaning the team will mostly likely become aggressive sellers at the trade deadline. The franchise must start thinking about the future, and that could mean dealing starting pitcher A.J. Burnett.

Burnett was brought in as a free agent to add another reliable arm to the rotation, but his services would be much better utilized on a team contending for a postseason berth like the Pittsburgh Pirates.

According to Jim Bowden of ESPN, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are working on a deal, but the details are still being hammered out:

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com also reported the Pirates’ interest in Burnett but revealed a snag that could hold up a potential trade:

The Phillies and A.J. Burnett wouldn’t mind working out a deal for him to go to Pittsburgh, but the Pirates’ interest, believed mild at best, might fall further if Burnett intends to pick up a player option for next year that’s likely to be worth $12.75 million.

The 2015 option is for $7.5 million at its minimum, but it will begin escalating if he reaches 24 starts this season (he has 21 so far). If he starts 32 games, the option would rise to $12.75 million, which would be a budget buster for Pittsburgh.

Giving up seven earned runs in his last start is not what a prospective team wants to see from a trade target, but Pittsburgh knows exactly what Burnett would bring to the team based the two seasons he spent there (2012-13).

Burnett’s 2014 hasn’t been his best, but he has served admirably on a struggling team. His positive attitude has helped anchor the rotation, and he has amassed a 4.15 ERA, a 6-10 record and 123 strikeouts thus far.

With the Pirates depending on Edinson Volquez and Vance Worley as the No. 4 and No. 5 starters, respectively, in their rotation, adding an insurance policy like Burnett would be a great deal if the two sides can come to an amicable agreement.

Jon Lester-for-Matt Kemp Deal on the Table?

One of the biggest names on the trade block this season has been Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester. According to reports, Lester could be the key piece in a trade for Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp.

In a report from Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com, Los Angeles and Boston may be laying the groundwork for a blockbuster trade before the deadline:

He has had debilitating ankle and shoulder injuries that have limited his play the last two seasons, is still owed roughly $118 million on a contract that runs through 2019, and has a mixed reputation as a clubhouse presence, but the Red Sox are considering making a move for Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, according to a club source.

With the Sox in need of more offensive production in the outfield, the right-handed-hitting Kemp could be the major piece in a trade for Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester, especially with the Dodgers reluctant to part with top outfield prospect Joc Pederson.

This would be one of the biggest trades of the year, and it would make a lot of sense for both parties involved. Boston would get a legitimate return in Kemp for Lester before he hits the open market as a free agent.

Los Angeles will have to take the educated risk regarding Lester re-signing with the Dodgers, but the team would be able to add another ace to the already-powerful starting rotation. Add in the fact that moving Kemp would alleviate some salary-cap stress and free up another outfield position for the young players in the farm system, and this is a win-win deal for both teams.

With Lester pitching well (2.52 ERA, 10-7 record and 149 strikeouts) and Kemp performing strong since returning from injury (a .277 batting average, eight home runs, 40 RBI and a .343 on-base percentage on the season), this would be a blockbuster trade that could actually come to fruition before the deadline.

Philadelphia Pushing Hard to Move Jonathan Papelbon?

As discussed in the Burnett section, Philadelphia is slipping out of contention and should be looking to sell many of the high-priced pieces that aren’t going to be part of the long-term plan.

One of the biggest names thrown around in rumors has been closer Jonathan Papelbon, but there just hasn‘t been the attention the Phillies thought they would get for a player of his caliber.

According to Heyman, Philadelphia is so desperate to move Papelbon that the team is willing to eat a substantial portion of his salary, but there is still not enough interest to make a deal worth a move:

The Phillies are telling teams they’d absorb a portion of the $18 million remaining on closer Jonathan Papelbon’s deal if they are interested in trading for the closer. Papelbon’s market seems light, if existent, after both the Angels and Tigers filled back-end bullpen needs with Huston Street and Joakim Soria, respectively.

Despite the team’s struggles, Papelbon has not lost the tenacity and toughness be has become known for, and the numbers back that up. With a 1.83 ERA, 25 saves and 40 strikeouts in 44.1 innings, there is no question that he would be a welcome addition to any bullpen.

For the teams potentially interested in Papelbon, the high-priced contract is a major issue. If the Phillies are willing to eat a huge chunk of the money, as the report claims, it will be easier to move him in a last-second deal.

Stats via MLB.com.

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Lost in all the respect and hoopla surrounding Derek Jeter’s last season as part of the New York Yankees is the fact that the squad is still very much in the race for an American League playoff spot.

Entering play Monday, the Bronx Bombers were four games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East and battling with the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals for wild-card positioning.

Perhaps a significant move or two at the trade deadline could push the Yankees over the top? 

With that in mind, here is a look at some of the latest rumors coming out of New York.

John Danks

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com filled fans in on the latest regarding New York’s potential pursuit of John Danks:

The White Sox had scouts watching the Yankees’ system, particularly the minor league catching surplus, in the past few days. It is yet one more indication the Yankees are focused on John Danks in their search for another starting pitcher.

It is certainly interesting that the Yankees are connected with Danks because many teams would take umbrage with his $14.25 million salary the next two years, but probably not New York. Danks may have a 9-6 record, but his 4.40 ERA is certainly far from elite, as are the 17 home runs he has allowed. 

Still, the Yankees pitching staff has taken some lumps in the injury department with CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka. Adding Danks would provide some depth and another solid arm to a rotation that ranks 17th in the league in ERA.

He may not be a game-changer, but Danks would certainly give the Yankees a more formidable pitching group heading into the stretch run.

Platoon Search

Despite the pitching staff concerns, there are still some other needs. Stark had another update:

While the Yankees have looked into names like Josh Willingham, other clubs say they appear most focused this week on finding a right-handed hitting platoon partner in right field for Ichiro Suzuki, and one with no long-term salary commitments. So names like Chris Denorfia (Padres) and Justin Ruggiano (Cubs) are more likely than, say, Marlon Byrd or Alex Rios.

Ichiro hasn’t exactly dominated in New York, but he is batting .270 and is still a solid glove in the outfield. If he could platoon with someone consistently at age 40, his production would probably see an uptick. 

None of the names on that list Stark provided is going to single-handedly win the Yankees an American League pennant, but more depth is critical as the wear and tear of the season takes its toll in September. Keeping fresh legs in the outfield, especially one that features older veterans like Ichiro, could be the difference in a future game or two.

Looking for Pitching

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports filled fans in on the Yankees’ search for some other more notable names:

The rival Red Sox are said to listening on ace Jon Lester and others now, but he’s more likely a winter free-agent consideration for them than a trade possibility for New York.

While Cliff Lee could become an option later if he pitches some better games in his return after a two-month absence with an elbow issue, the Yankees aren’t focused on him now since he’s all but sure to clear waivers in August and remain a trade candidate.

Lee’s teammate Cole Hamels seems barely available, and even if he is, the Yankees probably don’t have the upper-level prospects to do such a deal.

That doesn’t exactly seem promising from New York’s perspective, but one American League scout had a more positive take, via Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe:

They have more in their farm system than people think. They have some arms, they have the Aaron Judge kid, [Luis] Severino, [Gary] Sanchez, [Peter] O’Brien, [Eric] Jagielo. If they wanted to make a deal, they have enough to give up.

The name that really jumps out from that list of pitchers is Jon Lester. If the Yankees do pursue him in the offseason, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch seeing them throw big-time money his way. In fact, New York tossing dollars at the best arm on the market is almost a rite of passage for any offseason. 

It’s hard to see Boston trading a pitcher of Lester’s caliber, who just so happens to be among the best lefties in all of baseball, to its chief rival. That being said, stranger things have happened at the MLB trade deadline.

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With just days to go until the July 31 trade deadline, the MLB rumors are rampant as teams fight to position themselves as championship contenders or sell off assets and play for next year. 

There are quite a few rumblings concerning big names on big-market franchises, and a potential blockbuster always adds a jolt to the excitement around the 100-game mark of the season. 

Let’s take a look at some of the potential moves that could go down before the playoff push.

Jon Lester Garnering Interest

The Boston Red Sox look like cellar sellers with a 47-56 record that has them firmly entrenched in last place in the AL East. According to ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes, the team could have a potential trade partner for starting pitcher Jon Lester:

One major-league source said the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Rays ace David Price, have had discussions with the Sox regarding Lester, but if so, those talks have not progressed very far to date.

The Dodgers were Boston’s trading partner for the blockbuster 2012 trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett west.

The Los Angeles Dodgers may not seem to need rotation help at first glance, with the likes of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, but the back end of the rotation has faltered a bit. 

Hyun-jin Ryu is susceptible to the occasional spotty start, while Dan Haren has gone completely off the rails. The 33-year-old righty is 1-4 with a 6.92 ERA in his last five starts, per Baseball-Reference.com. However, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly still has some faith in Haren.

He said, via MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick:

In Pittsburgh, their leading winner has eight wins and Danny’s got eight wins. Dan Haren has done a pretty good job. It’s like we cut him up because he’s not Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu. I take exception to people who want to throw him aside. At this pace, he’ll win 14 or 15 games.

This confidence may be the reason talks have not progressed very far, as Haren did pitch very well early in the season and could return to form.

It should also be noted that Lester had made it known he could very well boomerang right back to the Red Sox after a trade without any issue.

“Yeah, why not?” Lester said, via Edes. “I mean, this is what I know, this is what I love. Like I’ve said many times, this is where I want to be. If they trade me, I completely understand.”

That would certainly be quite the haul if the Red Sox got some spare parts or prospects and have their trade piece come right back to them.

Matt Kemp Might Not Be Going Anywhere

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a glut of players in their outfield. Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke are all healthy and capable players.

It makes sense to alleviate the pressure by engineering a deal for one of these players, but according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers aren’t close to any significant deals and are wary of trading Kemp:

There have been rumblings about a potential Hollywood exit for Matt Kemp. The center fielder’s agent, Dave Stewart, recently made some fairly cryptic comments that have fueled talks of a Kemp exit.

“Eight years is a long time to be in one place,” Stewart told CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman. “Sometimes change is good. This might be the time to change.”

It will be tough to move Kemp and his gigantic contract, which is set to pay him approximately $21.5 million a year through 2019, per Spotrac.

Dan Szymborski believed trading for Kemp could doom another general manager in a column for ESPN Insider (subscription required):

At this point, with Kemp in the post-star phase of his career, the situation that most comes to mind is the infamous trade that saw the Los Angeles Angels send Mike Napoli to the Toronto Blue Jays for the privilege of drastically overpaying Vernon Wells.

Any general manager looking to acquire Kemp this summer better remember that trade, because bringing in Kemp for anything but a bargain-basement price is likely not going to lead to October trophies but rather November résumé updating.

The Dodgers should try to part ways with Kemp, Ethier or Crawford. All three are injury risks, and the future of the franchise, Joc Pederson, is stuck in Triple A with a ridiculous .327/.458/.594 slash line. Kemp’s trade value could be the best it will be for a long time; he hit .317 in June and .381 over the past week, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Pederson, a center fielder, and Puig have the potential to become one of the best young outfield pairings in the majors. The only thing stopping them is the pileup of players at the big club.

Miami Marlins Could be Buyers at the Trade Deadline

The Miami Marlins were always going to be a tough read at the trade deadline. They have excellent building blocks in the form of Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich, not to mention the potential return of flamethrower Jose Fernandez next season.

They’re 49-53 and 7.5 games back of the Washington Nationals in the NL East, but there is an outside chance at a wild-card spot if they pick things up over the past few weeks. According to MLB.com beat writer Joe Frisaro, that might be exactly what the team has in mind for its trade-deadline strategy:

Five days before the deadline, the Marlins are hoping to become buyers. Winning four of five to open their road trip has raised optimism and hope they can make a playoff push. 

A starting pitcher is on their shopping list, but the urgency could subside if Brad Hand and Jacob Turner reach their potential in a hurry. Hand is doing so, coming off an impressive two straight wins of throwing at least seven innings.

This could be a huge gamble for the Marlins. If they try to buy their way into the playoff race, they would face a difficult task in beating out the top teams in the NL like the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants and Nationals.

They do need help at the back end of the rotation. Pairing a solid pitcher with the likes of Henderson Alvarez and Tom Koehler could give them a playoff bump but just barely. Jacob Turner has struggled so far in the rotation, sporting a 6.03 ERA.

Frisaro also noted that Marlins are uninterested in dealing Stanton at this time. The team should definitely hold on to their star slugger, but being aggressive and buying players might not be the best move for them long term, especially when they do have stars to build around.

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The Boston Red Sox are getting closer to starting the defense of their World Series title when they begin regular season play on March 31 against the Baltimore Orioles.

Some questions about the roster have been answered during their time in Fort Myers, Fla. However, new ones have appeared due to certain performances, and others still need to be figured out.

A few players have taken full advantage of their opportunity this spring, while others aren’t getting the results they were hoping for. Unfortunately, strong performances from some in Red Sox camp won’t end with a spot on the Opening Day roster.

With the 2014 season-opener less than a week away, let’s take a look at some of Boston’s biggest winners and losers from this spring.

All player statistics sourced from RedSox.com, unless otherwise noted.

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With starting pitcher Homer Bailey officially off the 2014-2015 free-agent board after agreeing to a long-term contract extension with the Cincinnati Reds, the pressure could be rising for the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers to get deals done with their own free agent-to-be front-line starters. 

Red Sox ace Jon Lester and Tigers co-ace Max Scherzer, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, were already on track to be the cream of the crop when it comes to free-agent starting pitchers next offseason. Bailey had a decent chance to join them if he could duplicate his numbers from the previous two seasons.

But after the Reds guaranteed the 27-year-old Bailey (pictured) $105 million over the next six seasons—a total he wouldn’t likely have reached had he struggled on the mound or battled injuries during the upcoming season—his 2014 performance is now highly unlikely to have a negative effect on the market value of Lester or Scherzer.

If anything, the agents for each pitcher would have an even stronger argument should their client have a better season than Bailey, who hasn’t been quite as dominant as Scherzer over the past couple of seasons… 

…and can’t come close to matching Lester’s much longer track record of success. 

So while Bailey is a year younger than Scherzer and two years younger than Lester, that may have been his agent’s lone argument as to why his client’s contract should be comparable to either.

Barring a drastic decline from Lester—who Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald figures could ask for at least $20 million per season on his next contract—or Scherzer in 2014, their respective agents should be able to point to Bailey’s deal and negotiate an even better one.

This is bad news for their respective teams, who aren’t likely to view the compensation draft pick gained in June 2015, should either pitcher sign elsewhere, as much of a consolation prize considering how big of a hole either departure would create.

Had Bailey and the Reds been unable to reach an agreement, things could’ve been more favorable for the Red Sox and Tigers in their quests to sign Lester and Scherzer.

A subpar performance from Bailey in 2014 and there would be no $105 million deal set as the starting point in negotiations. A third consecutive strong season from Bailey would mean Lester and Scherzer (pictured) would have another established front-line starting pitcher to compete with on the free-agent market and their bargaining power could decrease as a result.

With this in mind, they could’ve been more open to signing a contract extension with their current team prior to the start of free agency. 

As things stand, however, the sense of urgency from the Lester/Scherzer camps to get a long-term contract done prior to next offseason has likely decreased. Next year’s free-agent market, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post pointed out, keeps getting worse with Clayton Kershaw also removed from the list after he agreed to a contract extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers last month.

The Red Sox and Tigers must now be the aggressors if talks are going to heat up and they must be willing to go well beyond what Bailey just received from the Reds. 

By allowing Lester and Scherzer to become free agents next November, the Red Sox and Tigers will risk the price rising even higher following a typical season from either pitcher and the bidding war likely to ensue with just two or three front-line starting pitchers available—Cleveland Indians right-hander Justin Masterson, another long-term extension candidate, would likely be third on the list. 

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The Boston Red Sox have picked up the 2014 club option in starting pitcher Jon Lester‘s contract, which will pay him $13 million, reports WEEI’s Rob Bradford:

Per source, Red Sox have activated Jon Lester’s $13 million option for next season

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) November 1, 2013

The Red Sox confirm the news:

#RedSox today exercised their 2014 contract option on LHP Jon Lester.

— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) November 1, 2013

After enjoying a solid regular season, Lester made the Red Sox’s decision even easier with a dominant postseason run. Lester paced Boston’s staff with a 4-1 record and a 1.56 ERA in the playoffs, highlighted by allowing one run in 15.1 innings against the Cardinals in the Fall Classic.

Lester enjoyed a rebound season after struggling through the worst year of his career in 2012. His return to form played a key role in helping Boston earn their third World Series title in 10 years.

It’s difficult for a team to make any type of progress when its ace has an ERA near 5.00, which was the case for Lester last season.

The two-time All-Star still hasn’t returned to the level he showcased from 2008 through 2011, a stretch where his ERA never finished above 3.50. That said, he’s at least flashed that type of form while being far more reliable from start to start.

His improved performance was probably all the Red Sox needed to see before picking up the option.

Lester will be 30 heading into next season, meaning he’s still in the midst of his prime. Boston couldn’t afford to let a pitcher of his caliber walk out the door without getting anything in return, especially with limited star power elsewhere in the rotation.

Barring a long-term contract extension, the left-hander will enter next season with no shortage of motivation. He’ll be pitching for what’s likely to be his final big contract and, with plenty of teams seeking rotation help, he could earn one with even just a solid 2014 campaign.

In turn, the Red Sox would benefit from a motivated Lester. The club has shown what it’s capable of when he’s good, it would be even more dangerous if he’s great, as he often was during that aforementioned 2008-11 stretch.

All told, with the option picked up, the Red Sox and Lester can focus on finishing strong in 2013 instead of worrying about what the future holds for 2014.

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Sasquatch hunters would lose their minds if they happened across Fenway Park. The men of the 2013 Boston Red Sox own some of the gnarliest beards in baseball, and it’s about time we settle the argument of who has the best. 

I mean, seeing as how these players went through all of the trouble and weeks (hours when it comes to Jonny Gomes) to grow these things, we might as well judge them. 

From the scraggly to those who would make The Most Interesting Man in the World happy, we have you covered. 

Never before have a group of men been so lauded for merely not shaving. It’s time to celebrate laziness and superstitious playoff facial hair. 

We will also give you a non-baseball comparison of the first thing we think of when we see each beard. Feel free to play along. 

Now let’s see those mugs. 

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The first two games of the 2013 World Series have been headlined by leather.

The poor throws in the late innings of Game 2 by the Boston Red Sox evened the Series one day after a litany of errors and misplays by the St. Louis Cardinals left them trailing after Game 1—which, of course, also featured the headline-grabbing controversy surrounding the alleged foreign substance on Jon Lester‘s glove.

And so as the scene shifts to St. Louis for Games 3, 4 and 5, there’s still plenty of chatter and speculation surrounding Lester’s leather and just what exactly was on it.

You’ve no doubt seen, heard and read all about this by now. It’s been made into a story so big that it might only be rivaled in size by the very “giant booger” that Lester called the green blotchy substance on the top portion of his glove’s thumb.

There’s been all sorts of back-and-forth on this topic, but Lester denied any subterfuge and more or less waved off the issue off when he addressed it with the media the day after his Game 1 gem, saying, via Alex Speier of WEEI.com:

I know that not once have I cheated. The picture does look bad. But it’s rosin. That’s all I can really comment on with it. It’s rosin. And my next start, in Game 5, I’ll go out there and do the exact same thing and hopefully have the same outcome of the game.

Speaking of Monday’s Game 5, which is sure to be preceded by all of the scrutiny and nonstop reminders we can handle, how will all of that impact Lester’s performance?

For one thing, the umpires will probably be keeping a close eye on the left-hander’s glove. That’s a given. If that was Cardinals prospect Tyler Melling’s intent when he dropped the tweet heard ’round the World Series, mission accomplished.

Let’s also recognize that this story blew up so much and so quickly because Lester pitched so well, hurling 7.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Does Melling’s tweet even happen if Lester pitches less effectively?

But as fellow MLB Lead Writer Zach Rymer pointed out in the wake of Game 1, there’s no evidence that Lester was getting any sort of help or boost or extra movement from the substance, whatever it was.

Not that Lester would have needed it anyway. Performing well in October is nothing new for him. In case you hadn’t noticed, the 29-year-old tends to do pretty darn well in the postseason, as he’s proved throughout his career. Entering this Fall Classic, Lester had allowed only six earned runs on 16 hits in 19.3 innings this month.

In his playoff career, Lester is sporting a 2.22 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 8.0 K/9 in 69 innings over 12 outings.

If nothing else, that shows Lester is capable of excelling against the best players in the game during the most intense, dramatic, high-leverage games he’s ever pitched in. To think that this “non-troversy,” as Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports dubbed it, is going to suddenly make Lester lose focus or distract him from his goal of winning a World Series game is just a tad silly.

Besides, the Red Sox are dealing with a more pressing distraction. That would be the status of Clay Buchholz, who is in line to start Sunday’s Game 4—at least for now.

The right-hander, who was Boston’s best pitcher early this year but lost three months to injury, is once again dealing with health issues that have him at well below 100 percent. His velocity has been down since he returned in September, per Brooks Baseball, and his 5.40 ERA through three playoff starts indicates he’s not close to the pitcher he was through the season’s first few months, when he had a 1.71 ERA prior to hitting the disabled list.

Now he’s battling shoulder soreness, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, and he may have “hit the wall” as manager John Farrell suggested.

“I’ve got maybe one start left,” Buchholz said. “I haven’t been 100 percent in a long time now.”

(Ironically enough, Buchholz had his very own alleged ball-doctoring incident back in May.)

Whether or not the Red Sox can count on Buchholz in Game 4—or will have to turn instead to left-hander Felix Doubront, who was relegated to long-man status at the outset of October—is a real and potentially more damaging problem than whether Lester will be bothered by Glovegate.

Fact is, Lester will pitch Game 5 and be ready to go. As for Buchholz and his ability to handle Game 4? That’s a legitimate concern for Boston.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of scrutiny on Lester’s leather the next time he toes the rubber, particularly because he’ll be on the road in St. Louis. He’s not going to be able to ignore all of the hubbub between now and when he steps on the mound Monday. But it’s not like that will affect how he pitches or cause him to fall apart, either.

While Lester is a fiery, competitive, heart-on-his-sleever, he’s also a major leaguer pitching in what potentially could be a clinching or do-or-die World Series game. One imagines he’ll have his priorities straight.

And it’s not like Lester hasn’t endured years and years of questions and criticisms—the chicken-and-beer fallout from Boston’s 2011 collapse comes to mind—while playing in one of the most intense media markets for the past eight years. Plus, he’s faced his fair share of life obstacles, too, having beaten lymphoma back in 2006.

Some extra scrutiny based on a little Gak on his glove isn’t going to be the most attention or the biggest challenge Lester has ever faced.

The toughest part about all of this for Lester is the timing. On Monday, he will be making his final start of 2013 on baseball’s biggest stage with a championship hanging in the balance. It’ll be up to Lester to perform under that spotlight like he’s done so many times before. Only this time it might be a little brighter than normal in Game 5.

Until then, though, expect leather to remain a fashionable topic this fall.

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