'08 Outlook for Jon Lester

'07 Season: Lester completed his amazing comeback from cancer and arrived at Spring Training almost 100%. He began pitching in the minors in April but his stay there took longer than expected. He went 4-5 with the PawSox with a 3.89 ERA. When he arrived in Boston he pitched fairly well going 4-0 in 11 games with a 4.57 ERA. He got the win in game 4 of the World Series and won the MLB Tony C. Award.

'08 Outlook: Lester has shown he has the stuff to be a dominant power pitcher in the majors. He has a good fastball and can overpower hitters. He had some games where he lost his focus causing bad innings in an otherwise good outing. As he matures and works with pitchers like Curt Schilling he should be able to limit those situations in '08. He needs to have better control next season to be a great pitcher but he has shown signs of improving. Lester could be a 15 game winner next year if he can stay healthy, the cancer is no longer a concern but power pitchers usually have a stay on the DL. The other big issue is Johan Santana; Lester is the main player being mentioned in a trade for the Twins ace. If Lester had pitched a full season in Boston last year his trade value would be much better but he is a very good starting pitcher and the Red Sox could count on him in the rotation for years if he is not traded.