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The A's are apparently all-in, as they have traded outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and a competitive balance pick to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Jon Lester, outfielder Jonny Gomes, and some cash (reportedly less than $1 million).
This is on the heels of trading Addison Russell and Billy McKinney to the Chicago Cubs in a deal for starting pitchers Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija.
Lester and Gomes are both free agents after the season, so this is a pure rental for the A's. Cespedes, meanwhile, is under contract for 2015, after which he becomes a free agent...the BoSox decided that, rather than add to the farm system in a Lester deal, they would go after an impact hitter who they could pair with David Ortiz in the middle of the lineup in 2015.
The outfield situation for Oakland seems a bit dicey now, as Coco Crisp is dealing with an injury, and Craig Gentry is on the d.l. with a broken hand. However, with Lester, Samardzija, Scott Kazmir and Sonny Gray, the A's have a formidable playoff rotation, as Billy Beane appears to be loading up for a deep playoff run in 2014.
