Red Sox trade Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes to A's for Yoenis Cespedes

The Boston Red Sox have traded starter Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.

The Boston Red Sox have traded starter Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, the teams announced Thursday. The deal was first reported by Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

The Red Sox will also receive a competitive balance draft pick from the A's. The pick is in Round B, which is held after the second round of the draft. The A's will receive cash considerations in addition to Lester and Gomes.

Lester, 30, was one of the prize pitchers thought to be available at the trade deadline. The Red Sox made Lester available after failing to sign him to a long-term contract extension. Lester had said he would consider re-signing with the team in the offseason, as his contract expires after 2014. He is 10-7 with a 2.52 ERA this season.

The trade for Lester comes several weeks after the A's acquired fellow starting pitchersJeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Chicago Cubs.

Jon Lester - ERA and Wins by Season | FindTheBest

Cespedes was in his third year with the A's after they signed him out of Cuba. His contract runs through 2015 and he's owed $10.5 million next season. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Cespedes's contract says that if he is not signed to a new contract after the 2015 season, he will be released and won't be eligible for arbitration. 

An All-Star this season, Cespedes is hitting .256 with 17 home runs and 67 RBI.

Gomes returns to Oakland, where he spent the 2012 season. He signed with Boston before the 2013 season and is hitting .234 with six home runs and 32 RBI in 78 games this year. Gomes is signed through 2014.

The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.

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- Ben Estes