On Thursday the Oakland Athletics acquired starting pitcher Jon Lester.
Lester, 30, will make his debut for the Athletics on Saturday which just happens to be the day the team was going to have a t-shirt day for Yoenis Cespedes. (Who was traded for Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes.) As for the t-shirt day the Athletics are still planning to go ahead with it with general manager Billy Beane calling them collectors items.
“It’s a zero-sum game, and in Jon Lester, you’re dealing with someone who is one of the best at his position in the game and has been for a long time,” Beane said on a call with reporters. “We couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
In 143 innings this season Lester has a 2.52 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 149/32 K/BB ratio. Given the pitching friendliness of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
The Athletics rotation now features Lester, Jeff Samardzija, Jason Hammel, Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir.
