The St. Louis Cardinals made a deal for Washington Nationals left-handed starter Jon Lester before the Major League Baseball trade deadline Friday, ESPN and MASN reported.
Lester, 37, was in his first season with Washington after nine-plus years with the Boston Red Sox and six with the Cardinals’ rivals, the Chicago Cubs. He also has pitched for the Oakland Athletics while compiling a 196-116 record and 3.64 ERA in 439 starts and one relief appearance.
Lester was 3-5 with a 5.02 ERA in 16 starts for the Nationals this season. He has 51 strikeouts and walked 29 batters over 75 1/3 innings.
The five-time All-Star helped Boston win the World Series in 2007 and 2013 and the Cubs win the title in 2016.
Two years removed from the franchise’s first World Series win, the Nationals continued a fire sale that included moving ace Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers; closer Brad Hand to the Toronto Blue Jays; reliever Daniel Hudson to the San Diego Padres; and catcher Yan Gomes and infielder Josh Harrison to the Oakland Athletics.
The Nationals received right-handers Richard Guasch and Seth Shuman and catcher Drew Miles from Oakland in the deal announced Friday for Gomes (.271 this season) and Harrison (.294).
–Field Level Media