Jon Lester and the Red Sox have agreed to a five-year, $30 million contract extension with a $13 million team option in 2014, according to Yahoo Sports.
This is a huge signing for the Sox.
Lester is already one of the top 10 pitchers in the league and probably the best lefty in the American League. Add in the fact that he is just 25 and will be coming into his prime over the length of the contract and this singing looks like another major coup for Theo Epstein.
The Sox now have three of their most important young players -- Dustin Pedroia (six years), Kevin Youkilis (four years) and Lester -- locked up for the next several years creating an outstanding nucleus to build around.
Lester was 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA last season and is 27-8 with a 3.81 ERA in 59 career starts.
He also has a 2.25 ERA in 36 post-season innings, won Game 4 of the World Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies in 2007, and, oh yeah, he tossed a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway on May 19, 2008.
While the Yankees continue to throw obscene amounts of money at injury-prone free agents and mortgage their future so much that they have no depth to fill in for starters that get injured (A-Roid), the Red Sox continue to make smart investments on proven young players that will help the team for years to come.
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