Could the Atlanta Braves pursue Jon Lester?

In mid-November, the Atlanta Braves employ exactly two starting pitchers that are “locks” to be deployed in the 2015 starting rotation. BothAlex WoodandJulio Teheranhave emerged as up-and-coming superstars in the rotation, but aside from that duo, the Braves have no “penciled-in” options afterErvin Santanadeclined a qualifying offer,Mike Minorstruggled through the 2014 season andAaron Harangsaw his contract expire. With that in mind,Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sportspenned a short column about a potential target for Atlanta, and that target’s name isJon Lester.

Here is a snippet from Rosenthal’s piece:

"Lester, 31, lives in Sharpsburg, Ga., outside Atlanta. The Braves need starting pitching. And if they clear enough payroll — something they actively are trying to do — then their entire approach to the offseason could change.The Braves indeed have touched base with Lester’s representatives, according to major-league sources. Their contact might only be a matter of due diligence. But they would be foolish to outright ignore a local resident, no?"

To be fair, there is no “report” of real buzz on either side here, but Rosenthal’s assertion that the Braves could emerge as a “dark horse” for Lester isn’tthatfar-fetched. The club could potentially create roster flexibility by ridding themselves ofB.J. Upton‘s contract (by any means necessary), and with a new ballpark on the horizon in 2017, it would be very nice to see a pitcher of Jon Lester’s caliber alongside the “young guns” in Wood and Teheran.

Is this a likely scenario? Probably not. Jon Lester will command a contract that reaches the nine-figure range over the life of the deal, and that would appear to be too rich forJohn Hart‘s blood. Still, the 30-year-old Lester tossed 219.2 innings with a 2.46 ERA (in the American League, no less) during the 2014 season, and it is nice to dream of that type of arm in the Braves rotation.

There have been reports that John Hart and company haven’t even decided if they want to “rebuild” or “compete” during the 2015 season, but if they choose the option to invest in the present, Jon Lester would look pretty good in navy blue and red.

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