Despite claims earlier in the offseason that the Yankees were not interested in the big free agent names on the market, the team could be making a late run at starting pitcher Jon Lester. The lefty starter is expected to make a decision on where he will pitch next season sometime this week before the Winter Meetings get underway on Monday, and it's possible that New York has decided to throw their hat into the ring before such a decision is made.
Signing Lester over, say, Max Scherzer, would allow the Yankees to keep their first round draft pick intact since Lester was traded from the Red Sox to the Athletics in the middle of the season. It seems like the lack of draft compensation is pushing them toward free agent reliever Andrew Miller as well, so it's possible that they might feel the same in choosing to pursue Lester over Scherzer at this stage.
Rumors over the weekend had them preparing an offer for Scherzer, but nothing has come of that to this point. After seeing other AL East teams make significant upgrades so far this winter, it's obvious that the Yankees need to do something. Bringing in a frontline starter like Lester would certainly go a long way in making a question-filled rotation seem a little more stable.
Yankees in on Lester with a late and large offer...
— Matt Abbatacola (@MattAbbatacola) December 3, 2014@jab_lo_now_ski Not sure what your angle is... Yankees made a "blow the competition away" type offer
— Matt Abbatacola (@MattAbbatacola) December 3, 2014Keep in mind that the person responsible for this rumor so far is not one of the mainstream sports writers. It could very well end up being nothing when it's all said and done, but maybe there is some validity here. It certainly makes sense for them to at least make a competitive offer. Other interested teams include the Giants, Cubs, and Red Sox.
Do you believe this rumor that the Yankees are suddenly all in on Lester? Do you prefer them to bring in Lester or Scherzer if they are going after one of the two biggest names on the market?