Jon Lester

Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane is tired of his team being “one-and-done” in the playoffs.

Jon Lester has made all 241 of his career major league starts with the Red Sox. He may not get a chance for No. 242 with Boston, though. 

The team's official Twitter feed confirmed that the 30-year-old will be scratched from Wednesday's start, sparking speculation that he will be dealt before Thursday's trade deadline:

Jon Lester is a rental.

There seems to be a rather potent stigma around the R-word at this point in baseball, but rarely do contenders have such an open shot at acquiring a legitimate ace to only further the short-term agenda.

With the nonwaiver trade deadline just around the corner, MLB trade rumors are swirling around at a furious pace. One such rumor that has gained a lot of momentum over the past few days is the potential dealing of Boston Red Sox ace Jon Lester.

With the Sox out of contention, it appears as though the team may be willing to move the impending free agent.

The 2014 MLB trade deadline is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, and as it is every season, the rumors have started to come fast and furious from all corners of the sport.

With huge names like A.J. Burnett, Jon Lester, Matt Kemp and Jonathan Papelbon potentially on the move, the landscape of baseball could shift if the rumored trades come to fruition before the deadline.

Lost in all the respect and hoopla surrounding Derek Jeter’s last season as part of the New York Yankees is the fact that the squad is still very much in the race for an American League playoff spot.

With just days to go until the July 31 trade deadline, the MLB rumors are rampant as teams fight to position themselves as championship contenders or sell off assets and play for next year. 

The Boston Red Sox are getting closer to starting the defense of their World Series title when they begin regular season play on March 31 against the Baltimore Orioles.

Some questions about the roster have been answered during their time in Fort Myers, Fla. However, new ones have appeared due to certain performances, and others still need to be figured out.

With starting pitcher Homer Bailey officially off the 2014-2015 free-agent board after agreeing to a long-term contract extension with the Cincinnati Reds, the pressure could be rising for the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers to get deals done with their own free agent-to-be front-line starters. 

The Boston Red Sox have picked up the 2014 club option in starting pitcher Jon Lester's contract, which will pay him $13 million, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford:

Per source, Red Sox have activated Jon Lester's $13 million option for next season

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) November 1, 2013

The Red Sox confirm the news: