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Report: Dodgers May Enter Bidding War For Jon Lester

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Baseball Operations President Andrew Friedman and the Los Angeles Dodgers may be on the verge of something big by amping up their stud-filled starting rotation.

Jon Lester is considered the prize of this year's free-agent class, and now it seems he could end up in Dodgers Blue.

According to multiple reports, the Dodgers have serious interest in the big left-hander and may have already entered the bidding war along with San Francisco, Boston and Chicago Cubs.

From WEEI:

"One industry source was under the impression that the Dodgers had already entered the bidding with an offer to Lester, while another characterized the Dodgers as poised to play a role similar to the one made by the Yankees in December 2008, when New York swooped in late to sign Mark Teixeira away from other interested bidders with a high bid of eight years and $180 million"

A three-time All-Star, Lester won two World Series during his time with the Red Sox and ended up in Oakland after a midseason trade.

Splitting time between the two teams was no problem as the 30-year old put together one of his best seasons.

Lester finished fourth in the Cy Young voting this year, posting an impressive 2.46 ERA along with 220 strikeouts in nearly 220 innings pitched.

Another report says there is concern within the organization that Zack Greinke could hit the free agency come next winter.

The right-hander enters the third year of his six-year contract, but can choose to opt out of the deal after the 2015 season.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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