Missing out as Betts blossoms
Lester wishes he saw more
WASHINGTON — If he wanted to fib, Jon Lester could have said that he saw greatness in Mookie Betts the moment he first laid eyes on him, that he just knew the kid was going to be a perennial All-Star.
But this will come as no surprise: Lester, the former Red Sox World Series hero who now pitches for the Chicago Cubs, has never been one for mincing words. So when he was asked yesterday about Betts’ ascendancy to becoming one of the game’s top players, Lester had to recuse himself.
“I’m a fan of baseball, so, yes, I follow the Red Sox,” said Lester, a National League All-Star. “They’re fun to watch, as far as the offensive side. Obviously you have a guy like Mookie Betts starting things off for them, and that always helps.” But …
“You know what, people ask me about Mookie and I never really got to see him play,” Lester said. “He got called up in 2014 and played briefly, for like a week, and then got sent back down. When he came back, I was gone.”
Lester’s memory is flawless. Betts’ first stint with the Red Sox was for just 10 games, after which he was returned to Triple-A Pawtucket. By the time he had returned to the big leagues in August, Lester had been traded to the Oakland A’s.
Betts and Lester appeared in just one game as teammates, a 4-3 Red Sox victory over the Chicago White Sox in which Lester allowed one run in seven innings. Betts, playing right field, went 0-for-3.
“I didn’t really see the whole package,” Lester said. “I wish I had.”
Martinez deflects
Sox slugger J.D. Martinez was asked the inevitable questions about opting out of his five-year, $109.95 million contract after 2019 or 2020, which would seem a slam dunk considering the numbers he’s putting up. But Martinez fended off the questions, saying, “That’s the guy you want to talk to right there,” nodding at super agent Scott Boras, who was standing nearby.
Beyond that, Martinez ladled out the requisite niceties about playing in Boston.
“Obviously that will have to be discussed later,” he said, “but I like the front office, I like the manager, I like everything about the way things are run. I think it’s trending in a really good and interesting way. I wouldn’t mind staying there.”
Manager material
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, asked which current bigleaguer he sees as a future manager, nominated San Diego Padres catcher A.J. Ellis, his former Miami Marlins teammate. Yelich said Ellis has talked about managing, and that he “sees the game from that point of view.” . . .
Sox closer Craig Kimbrel said the Red Sox clubhouse was happiest to see Mitch Moreland named an AllStar. “He shows up, laces up, plays hard,” Kimbrel said . . . .
Orioles shortstop Manny Machado praised O’s general manager Dan Duquette for keeping him apprised of trade talks with other teams but wouldn’t say where he’d like to land. “I’m here to play baseball, not sightsee,” he said . . . .
Mets ace Jacob deGrom also has been mentioned in trade talks but said, “I’m just going to go out there and try continue to put up zeroes and keep our team in a position to win.”
Despite a NL-best 1.68 ERA, the right-hander is just 5-4 in 19 starts.