A's Blockbuster Deal Sends Cespedes To Red Sox For Ace Jon Lester, Local Boy Jonny Gomes
OAKLAND (CBS SF) - The A's have added another ace to their rotation with the acquisition of Jon Lester, and brought back fan favorite Jonny Gomes for slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, confirms John Heyman of CBS Sports.
The A's will also give up a 2015 draft pick in the deal, but get back cash from the Sox.
Lester, 30, is 10-7 with a 2.52 ERA this season. He's posted a 1.12 WHIP and 149 strikeouts against 32 walks in 143 innings this season. The tree-time All-Star was skipped in the rotation Wednesday in anticipation of a possible trade. He is 4-1 career in the post season for the Red Sox.
Cespedes, 28, is hitting .256 with 17 home runs in 101 games this year. He's also made national headlines for physics-defying outfield assists and for repeating as home run derby king during the All-Star festivities.
Cespedes was the highest paid A, and is owed $10.5 million next season. He will become a free agent during the 2015-16 offseason.
Gomes, 33, is hitting .234 with six home runs this season. The Petaluma native played with the Athletics in 2012, hitting .262/.377/.491 (142 OPS+) with 18 homers in 99 games. Gomes will help replace some of the righty power the team is giving up in Cespedes.
The A's had already traded for pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel a few weeks ago and now added Lester on top of them. Oakland will go into the postseason with Lester, Samardzija, Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir in the rotation.
The A's had been planning to hand out 10,000 Cespedes T-shirts before their game against Kansas City Saturday.
Fan reaction has been mixed, as for the players themselves:
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