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Boston Red Sox ace lefty Jon Lester is coming off a season he’d like to forget, as he racked up a career-worst 14 losses and compiled a career-worst 4.82 ERA in 2012.

Now it sounds like there’s a chance he may not be back in Boston for the 2013 season.

On Monday, Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star reported that the Red Sox have talked about a deal with the Kansas City Royals that would send Lester to KC in exchange for top prospect Wil Myers. Rob Bradford of WEEI.com went on to confirm the discussions with a source of his own.

Nothing is imminent, mind you. And frankly, the Royals would be fools to part with Myers just to land Lester. If they really want to trade Myers, they can probably do better.

But the fact that the Red Sox have even talked to the Royals about the possibility of a Lester trade is an indication that they may be willing to trade him if the right deal comes along. He may not necessarily be “on the block,” but the Red Sox are clearly keeping their options open.

If they decide that they should move Lester this winter, there are eight clubs in particular that GM Ben Cherington should have on speed dial.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. 

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The Boston Red Sox and general manager Ben Cherington have an interesting decision to make: whether to trade veteran starting pitcher Jon Lester to the Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City is seeking front-line starting pitching help to aid the recent acquisitions of Ervin Santana and Jeremy Guthrie. Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star reports that the Royals may be willing to give up top prospect Wil Myers in exchange for a Jon Lester or a James Shields.

“We’re now at a point in time,” said Royals general manager Dayton Moore, “where we have good young players—as good as any team in baseball. Now, we’ve got to do what we can to support them. Do we trade one of them? I don’t know.”

Trading Lester for Myers would have major implications on the 2013 Red Sox and well into the future as well. It would most certainly be tough to part ways with Lester, who has pitched so well—outside of 2012—over the course of his seven-year career in Boston.

Would Boston be a better team with Myers, though?

Here’s why Cherington should pull the trigger and land one of the best prospects in baseball.

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Although Jon Lester did not emerge as the winning pitcher in the Boston Red Sox‘s 8-6 victory over the Yankees Saturday night, he did reach a milestone that serves as a reminder to just how good he’s been in the past—and could be again.

Lester’s final strikeout of the game, a whiff of dangerous Robinson Cano in the bottom of the sixth inning, gave the struggling hurler 1,000 strikeouts in his career. Just six Red Sox pitchers have reached this mark, and Lester is only the second left-hander after Bruce Hurst. Another 44 and he’ll be No. 1 among all Boston lefties.

It’s easy to forget just how impressive Lester’s career numbers were before last September’s meltdown, which has extended through all of this season, but here are a few samples:

Lester needed just 1,084 innings to reach 1,000 strikeouts. His average of nearly a strikeout an inning is second in team history to Pedro Martinez, and ahead of Roger Clemens.

Lester’s .691 career winning percentage entering this year was the second-best in club annals (behind Pedro) among pitchers with 100 or more decisions.

Lester’s postseason ERA as a starter is 2.35 over six games, including the clinching win of the 2007 World Series. Hurst (at 2.29) is the only pitcher in the post-1920 era who has done better among Red Sox starters with 30-plus playoff innings. 

Yes, none of this eliminates the problems Lester has struggled with this season, and in fact one can argue these numbers only make what’s happening now more frustrating. Even this game, in which the Red Sox scored three times in the sixth to stake Lester to a 6-1 lead, then watched him promptly give back all three runs in the bottom of the frame, was not close to what Big Jon has done in the past.

It was, however, a whole lot better than the four-inning, 11-run debacle Lester had against Toronto, and although the Yanks did get three homers off the lefty, they only had one other hit (and two walks) against him over six innings. He also had six strikeouts.

It wasn’t very pretty, and it wasn’t even enough for Lester’s sixth win of the season thanks to some shoddy relief work from Vicente Padilla. But it was a victory, and right now that’s what is most important to the Red Sox and their erstwhile ace. 

Saul Wisnia lives less than seven miles from Fenway Park and works 300 yards from Yawkey Way. His latest book, Fenway Park: The Centennial, is available at http://amzn.to/qWjQRS, and his Fenway Reflections can be found at http://saulwisnia.blogspot.com. He can be reached at saulwizz@gmail.com and @saulwizz.

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There were a lot of late-arriving fans at Fenway Park Friday night, and they had the right idea: This year, with Josh Beckett pitching, the worst parts of the game for the Red Sox almost always come early.

Beckett had another dismal start to his start, and the Red Sox were down 4-0 to the Blue Jays after just two innings. A few hours before the game, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington had told Tony Massarotti of 98.5 The Sports Hub that Beckett has “been very consistent if you look at the entire year.”

That seems like a stretch, unless you consider the early parts of games—when the Texas Chicken King has been consistently bad.

Beckett allowed two runs in the first inning Friday, raising his first-inning ERA to 10.69 for the season. He allowed two more in the second, and is now averaging 6.65 runs allowed over the first three innings of his starts.

The fact he does far better from the fourth inning on is of little consolation; Beckett consistently puts the Red Sox in an early hole, and the team has won just six of his 16 starts.

This latest lackluster start in the eventual 6-1 loss was especially frustrating coming on the heels of Boston’s exhilarating walk-off win Thursday, and left fans wondering once again if the Red Sox can ever turn this season around. It also again raises the question of how long it will take before Cherington and the Red Sox brass say enough is enough and dump Beckett.

When Massarotti asked Cherington Friday whether Beckett (now 5-8) or fellow underachieving starter Jon Lester (5-7) was on the trading block,the GM would not confirm either way but did say that the clubhouse problems that helped derail last year’s team have not been a factor in this year’s struggles.

“I haven’t seen anything from anybody in our clubhouse this year, including the pitchers, that has been anything but professionalism and trying to get the job done on the field,” Cherington said.

There may be no longer be beer and chicken to worry about, but with the team now 12-22 in games pitched by its two “aces,” more than the menu has to change if Boston expects to stay in the wild-card hunt.

Tomorrow it’s Lester’s turn in the rotation. The trade deadline is July 31. Red Sox Nation is watching.

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I’m not ready to blow up the 2012 Boston Red Sox.

That being said, within the next three to four weeks, general manager Ben Cherington and Co. will need to make some very tough decisions. Namely, shall they become buyers or sellers?

Until some of the injured troops can return to the lineup, it is not an easy situation to gauge. 

All things considered, even if the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Cody Ross, Andrew Bailey, etc. come back healthy and strong within the next few weeks, the time to assess what the Red Sox really are will be fleeting.

Can you really rely on two weeks (at best) watching returning players to judge if this team can make a significant push towards the playoffs?

I find it unlikely, at best.

That leaves Cherington to play the role of fortune teller. Can this team be brought back to life?

Obviously, that’s hard to say. What can be said, though, is the lack of chemistry and identity this Red Sox team is facing.

I hate to say it, but this roster reminds me of the New York Mets of the early 2000s—a bunch of big names on the roster with big contracts and not enough chemistry to win.

So, should the Red Sox come to the conclusion that the season is a loss, the team needs to rebuild and they don’t care about continuing the facade otherwise known as a sellout streak, the best chip they hold is Jon Lester.

The 6’4″ lefty is under team control through 2014 at relatively short money ($11.65 million for 2013, with a $13 million team option in ’14.)

He is 4-4 on the season with a deceptive 4.00+ ERA. Lester has been pitching well lately, going 3-1 in his last seven starts.

Historically, he is a 3.61 ERA pitcher who will give you eight or so strikeouts per start and win 16 games. There are plenty of contenders who would love that type of contributor. If the Red Sox are leaning towards selling off some of their chips, Lester provides them with the best opportunity at packaging up some waste that other teams may not want to touch otherwise.

At the very least, he would bring back the highest return, likely in the form of high level team prospects that are major-league ready.

As much as fans may be tied to some of the players on this roster, if the Red Sox decide to sell, be prepared to see big shake ups, not just minor blips on the team radar.

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Although the Boston Red Sox have won their last four games, they currently sit in last place in the AL East with a 16-19 record. Many pundits have counted them out for the season and expect they’ll finish around .500 or below.

The reality is that while the Red Sox have gotten off to a slow start this season, they will be competing for the top spot in the division well into September.

The Sox have been carried so far by their championship-level offense, which has scored 194 runs, second in the MLB to only the Texas Rangers led by Josh Hamilton.

David Ortiz has led the way with a .346 batting average and 26 RBIs, both top-five in the league. Dustin Pedroia is his usual self, and the Sox have gotten quality contributions from newcomers Cody Ross, Ryan Sweeney, and rookie Will Middlebrooks.

But Boston has missed Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford, who have played seven games between them this season due to injury. If either Ellsbury can come back and pick up where he left off last year, or if Crawford can return to his pre-2011 form, the offense will be even better.

This is a team that’s given 56 at-bats so far to expected reserve outfielder Darnell McDonald and his .179 batting average. Having Ellsbury, Crawford or both back and hitting well for Boston should give them an even bigger boost to an already formidable attack.

While their offense is one of the best in the league, the reason the Sox currently sit in last place to start the year is because of their dreadful pitching.

They’ve given up 187 runs, which is the highest figure in the MLB—not something you’d usually associate with a pitching staff led by Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, and Clay Buchholz.

Lester has been a model of consistency for the Sox the past few years, sporting an ERA between 3.21 and 3.47 for each of the past four seasons. His complete game last night lowered his ERA to 3.71, and he looks to be back on track to another fine campaign.

Beckett has an ERA of 5.97 after his last start when he gave up seven runs in less than three innings, an outing in which manager Bobby Valentine suggested Beckett was tipping his pitches. Beckett had a 4.10 ERA in his career with the Sox, a number that’s inflated by his adjustment year to the AL in 2006 and his injury-filled 2010 campaign.

This is a player who had a 2.89 ERA last season; he should be able to turn it around and finish another solid year with a sub 4.00 ERA.

Buchholz, on the other hand, sports an 8.31 ERA and 1.97 WHIP, both last in the majors by far.

Although he hasn’t looked good all year, he showed signs of improvement in his last start, giving up three runs in six innings. Buchholz has the pitching repertoire to succeed—he’s had seasons of 2.33 and 3.48 ERAs—but just needs to harness his stuff properly.

If he continues to fail, the Red Sox have the pitching depth to replace him. Aaron Cook has looked great in Triple-A ball, and Daisuke Matsuzaka is close to returning from his elbow injury.  

Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard have both been strong at the back end of the rotation, and the first-time starters should continue to improve as the season progresses.

The bullpen started off rocky but has pitched well of late, with Alfredo Aceves looking more and more like an elite closer after each outing.

The pen should get a boost both when Andrew Bailey returns from his thumb injury and when Mark Melancon gets called up from the minors. Although the former Astros closer looked terrible in his work with the Sox earlier this season, Melancon has struck out 19 batters in 11 innings in Triple-A without giving up a run and should be back to being a solid reliever when he gets another shot in Boston.

Poor pitching to start the year is the reason the Sox currently stand at three games under .500. As long as their offense continue to hit, once the pitching stabilizes they should be back in contention for the AL East crown.

Baseball’s a long season, and with only 35 out of 162 games played, the Red Sox surely have a chance to finish first in one of the toughest divisions in baseball.

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The Boston Red Sox are one of baseball’s greatest franchises. They have won more World Series championships than all but two AL teams, play in the oldest stadium, are part of the sport’s best rivalry and have seen a long line of legends don their uniform.

Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk and Carl Yastrzemski head a list of Hall of Famers who have played for the Sox, but there are many greats who have not yet had their chance at earning a plaque in Cooperstown.

Here we take a look at the current and recently retired Red Sox who could or should one day receive baseball’s greatest honour, as well as some who have been unjustly overlooked.

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In Boston the weather has been a tease this week.  

Two days ago the temps were in the mid 50’s. Yesterday, it snowed. The Fenway Faithful are starting to salivate for the start of the 2012 season. The team was disgraced last year. Hopefully that means there is a chip on the shoulder of many men on this roster.

Most of all, the pitchers.

With a lot to prove and a fanbase anxious for baseball, here is a look at what we can expect from the starting pitchers in 2012.

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1. Josh Beckett

Josh Beckett has been a fantastic pitcher for the Boston Red Sox since joining the team in 2006.

Unfortunately, he’s also been somewhat of an enigma. He has almost ritualistically followed up a stellar season with a lackluster one (often due to injury). Since his first season in Boston, his stats have resembled a typical roller-coaster ride:

2006: 16-11, 5.01 ERA

2007: 20-7, 3.27 ERA

2008: 12-10, 4.03 ERA

2009: 17-6, 3.86 ERA

2010: 6-6, 5.78 ERA

2011: 13-7, 2.89 ERA

So in 2012, will Beckett have another 17- to 20-win season? Or regress and have one of his notorious off years? Only time will tell, but he has been a staple for this Red Sox rotation for a long time, and it’s safe to say he’ll be one the Red Sox’s top starters next season.  

Beckett also made an effort to address last season’s issues of drinking in the clubhouse, which can be taken as a good omen.

I’ll look for Beckett to have a bounce-back season and play with a bit of a chip on his shoulder after all of the negative attention he garnered last season.

Is he a lock to be the Opening Day starter? No. But it will likely be either Beckett or Jon Lester.

2. Jon Lester

One of the most consistent pitchers in all of baseball, Lester will once again anchor the Red Sox rotation during the 2012 season.

Consistently good for over 200 innings, an ERA under 4.00 and double-digit wins, Lester is as close to a sure thing next season as the Red Sox are likely to see.

3. Clay Buchholz

Buchholz pitched well last season before going down with a stress fracture in his back, which ended his 2011 season.

The Red Sox will rely heavily on Buchholz next season if they want to compete with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.

His injury last season was a major reason why the Red Sox collapsed in September and missed the playoffs. Their starting pitchers slumped in a big way (and to be honest, the entire team did as well).

If they still had Buchholz making starts late last season, maybe they would have made the playoffs. He had been one of the best pitchers in the majors up until his injury, sporting a 17-7 record to go with an astounding 2.33 ERA.

Hindsight aside, Buchholz will be a huge X-factor regarding Boston’s success moving forward.

4. Daniel Bard

All signs seem to point to Bard converting to a starter this season.

With the bulk of the moves this offseason going toward fixing the bullpen, adding Mark Melancon and Andrew Bailey, it seems that Bard’s move to the starting rotation is evident.

There’s always a chance that Bard could revert back to his role as setup man (or even switch to closer), but I don’t see that happening barring an injury or setback. If the Red Sox can get Bobby Jenks back to full strength this season as well (after the disastrous injury-ridden season last year, followed by news of a pulmonary embolism), that would further improve their already deep bullpen.

It will be very interesting to see how Bard’s talents translate into becoming a starting pitcher, especially when you think about how his arm will hold up with a huge increase in innings.

5. Bring on the Competition

I use the term “competition” loosely here. The fifth starter spot for the Red Sox is a giant question mark. The only positive Red Sox fans should find with this slot is that it won’t be filled by John Lackey’s underbite next season.

Moving Alfredo Aceves from the bullpen to the fifth starter spot I think hurts the team’s great bullpen depth too much to be considered an option. Also, I think if the Red Sox had plans to move Aceves into the rotation, they would have done it last year in an attempt to right the ship.

Andrew Miller could be seen as an option, but after a solid start to his 2011 campaign, Miller was very inconsistent and struggled with command.

At 45 years old, Tim Wakefield may opt to retire instead of sticking around as the Red Sox’s security blanket for another season, but could still be a viable option.

As for Daisuke Matsuzaka, well, I’ll leave that explanation up to Peter Gammons. It’s hard to believe that this is the same pitcher who went 18-3 with a 2.80 ERA for the Red Sox in 2008. Injuries have derailed Dice-K’s MLB career, which showed so much promise just three years ago. I’d be surprised if Matsuzaka made any appearances this year even if he gets healthy before the end of the season.

There’s also what my friend Asher and I refer to sarcastically as “The Trifecta”—also known as the trio of pitchers the Sox acquired in the offseason to compete for this final slot (or even a spot on the roster): Vicente Padilla, Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook.

I suppose now with the signing of John Maine, fans can switch this to “The Quad.” Regardless of what fans call it, the pitcher who makes this slot will likely need a lot of run support to be successful.

There’s still an off chance that the Red Sox will sign free-agent starter Roy Oswalt, but I honestly don’t think it will happen. 

The Sox were also rumored to have offered Edwin Jackson a contract, but the Washington Nationals signed him for $11 million for next season. Personally, I think that $11 million is an absurd amount of money to pay a pitcher who has a career ERA of 4.46, but the Nationals have gained a reputation for overpaying players.

Point being, if Jackson can get $11 million for one season, I bet Oswalt’s agent is watching. He may not get that kind of money, but he’ll probably hold out for more money than the Red Sox can offer.

So again, let the competition for the fifth starter position begin. Maybe spring training will lend itself to stiff competition between a group of guys vying for an important spot on Boston’s roster.

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It’s not that there aren’t some legitimate questions about the Red Sox and their rotation heading into the 2012 season. 

It’s not that the two pitchers who eventually end up getting the bulk of the starts out of the number four and number five slots in the rotation won’t have a dramatic impact on how the upcoming season pans out. 

It’s just that it’s also important to remember that the first three slots in the starting pitching rotation otherwise known as “the heart of the rotation” for the bulk of major league teams is or could be pretty darned good.

Yes, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka are hurt, and no, the Sox never did land any of the high profile starting pitchers that dotted the free-agent landscape for just over three months.

John Maine, Vicente Padilla and Aaron Cook are on the list of potential back-of-the-rotation starters. It’s the type of list that might elicit one of those “Who the heck are these guys??” types of statements as seen in the movie Major League.

There are three guys who will definitely start this season. In fact they’re going to be called the “number one, number two and number three starters.” They’re pretty good too. Who are they? Well in case you forgot…. 

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