A's BOLSTER ROTATION WITH LESTER
The Oakland Athletics acquired pitcher Jon Lester, outfielder Jonny Gomes and cash from the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and a competitive balance round B draft pick in 2015.
What does it give the Oakland Athletics
Whoa! Talk about kicking off Trade Deadline Day with a bang! The A's once again land the marquee pitching name here in Lester--just as they did earlier this season in landing {P Jeff Samardzija} from the Cubs. Lester will provide Oakland with the playoff savvy they're looking for. His arrival makes the A's the favorite to reach the World Series out of the American League. In Gomes, the A's get a strong platoon outfielder who'll play against lefties and is already familiar with the team (he played with Oakland in 2012) and is from the area. This move is gutsy for the A's, because Cespedes was their regular left-fielder.
What does it give the Boston Red Sox
Instead of adding futures for their top tradeable commodity (Lester), the Red Sox decided to land an everyday outfielder (which was a definite need for them at this time). Cespedes will immediately bolster a Boston offense that's been rather pedestrian this season. He'll probably bat behind legendary DH {P David Ortiz} and provide far more everyday power than Gomes. Cespedes will either play left or right field in Boston. The Sox also received a compensation pick in next year's draft. It's a very interesting deal, because it will definitely help the Red Sox offensively right away.
Fantasy impact
Moving away from Fenway Park and to Oakland's coliseum (at least, temporarily) should benefit Lester, so his fantasy value is on the rise to finish off 2014. Cespedes should be the biggest winner here, however. Moving to Fenway Park should turn the big Cuban into a massive home-run hitter. Gomes' status should remain largely the same, as he'll be a platoon player in Oakland.
