Red Sox reach 5-year deal with Lester - 美國職棒

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Red Sox lock up Lester for five years


FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The stories of Jon Lester's perseverance have long since
become the stuff of baseball legend, making this latest piece of news seem
relatively mundane. But for Lester and the Red Sox, it is critical.

The Sox officially announced on Sunday that they have agreed on a five-year
contract with Lester worth a reported $30 million and including a $14 million
team option for 2014.

"No one deserves this contract more than Jon," general manager Theo Epstein
said. "It's just a great day for those of us who know him."

Lester, 25, finished 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA last season, his first full season in
the big leagues. A cancer survivor, he has since developed into one of the top
left-handers in the game.

"I've had a lot of ups and downs, both on and off the field," Lester said.
"I've definitely learned a lot from those downs on the field, and definitely a
lot from the ones off the field. I think it put me in a better position last
year to succeed, because of the downs I had been through and some of the trials
-- it just makes you appreciate when you go out there and actually do succeed."

...

"The arbitration years for a starting pitcher can be a challenge," Epstein
said. "I think what this contract does is allows us to all think together
about
the big picture. Jon knows he's going to be here, he knows his contract is set
for the next five or six years, and we can manage those critical years through
his mid- and late-20s together, in a way that we all hope leads to Jon
dominating and us continuing to contend for World Series championships year in
and year out."

"It's guaranteed," Lester said. "We have that inflow every year no matter what
happens, and I think that's a big help to me and my family and the Red Sox. We
have that guarantee that I'm going to go pitch."

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本季第三張長約

Dustin Pedroia 6yrs/$40.5M + $11M option (涵蓋三年FA)

Kevin Youkilis 4yrs/$40M + $13M option (涵蓋三年FA)

Jon Lester 5yrs/$30M + $14M option (涵蓋兩年FA)

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