NEW: Red Sox Trade Lester, Gomes for Home Run King Yoenis Cespedes

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Jack Andrade, GoLocal Sports Reporter

The Red Sox have traded pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.

WEEI's Alex Speier was first to report the trade.

The 28-year-old Cespedes has a .256 batting average, 17 home runs, and 67 RBI this season. He has won the last 2 Home Run Derby competitions, and is regarded as one of the better raw power hitters in baseball. Cespedes also has one of the strongest arms in the major leagues.

See Video Below for Cespedes' Outfield Highlights

The trade brings the Lester era in Boston-which included a pair of World Series championships and countless clutch performances from the southpaw- to an end. It also sends the popular but largely unproductive Gomes out of town.

Both Lester and Gomes will be free agents after this season. Cespedes has 1 more year remaining on a 4-year, $36 million deal he signed with Oakland after defecting from Cuba in 2011.