Giants meet with free-agent lefty Lester | sfgiants.com

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For all the reasons noted in the story, mark me down for a no on this one. The last attractive, former A's lefty we signed to a mega-deal didn't exactly turn out really well. Or did it? I'm so confused......go ahead, sign him. It's not my money, so WTFDIK?

P.S. - My preference is that all this Lester-lust is an organizational head-fake that leads the Giants to acquire James Shields or Jeff Samardzia.

from sfgiants.com
Giants meet with free-agent lefty Lester | sfgiants.com:

Though multiyear contracts are always risky, the Giants probably would gamble on Lester, who turns 31 in January. Having spent his career primarily in Boston and entirely in the American League, he owns a 15-7 record with a 3.06 ERA in 29 Interleague starts. Lester won both of his appearances at San Francisco's AT&T Park, yielding one earned run in 17 1/3 innings. 

Moreover, the Giants have established a precedent for making lucrative, long-term deals with pitchers. The seven-year, $126 million contract they gave Barry Zito before the 2007 season was the highest ever received by a Major League pitcher at the time. Cain received a six-year, $127.5 million extension in April 2012. Lincecum never has signed a contract exceeding two years but has earned $75 million in the last four seasons. 

To have a chance at signing Lester, the Giants probably would have to make him their highest-paid player, since the average annual value of the contract he ultimately receives could approach $25 million. Cain, due to earn $20.833 million in each of the next two seasons, will top San Francisco's annual payroll until catcher Buster Posey's yearly salary soars to $22.178 million in 2017."

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