The Red Sox are a storied franchise with many great moments and great players, but many of them have become ex-Red Sox. Many of these come from the last ten years. Here are updates on our favorite active ex-Red Sox players:
Ex-Red Sox #1 – Jon Lester
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Jon Lester is definitely a fan favorite when it comes to ex-Red Sox players. Since Jon Lester signed a six-year, $155 million contract with the Chicago Cubs in the 2014, he has achieved many things. We all know about his addition to his World Series ring collection, but he has also put up great numbers. In 2016, Lester went 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA in 202 ⅔ innings, finishing in the top three in Cy Young voting that year. So far this season, he has gone 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA in 38.1 innings. Jon Lester has made three Opening Day starts for the Cubbies.
On top of his sustained excellence on the field, he has also done some humanitarian work off the field. Most recently, he donated $10,000 to ALS research after the mother of fellow MLB player Stephen Piscotty passed away for that reason. Lester has also continued doing work for his own charity, NVRQT (Never Quit). Lester established the charity in 2011 to fight against pediatric cancer.
Ex-Red Sox #2 – Josh Reddick
Here is another player who has gone on to win a ring after leaving the Red Sox. Josh Reddick played for the Red Sox from 2009-2011, which definitely wasn’t our best years. After he was traded to the Oakland A’s, he had a breakout season in 2012. He hit 32 home runs and drove in 85 runs with a .242 batting average. In 2016, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline. In the 2016-2017 offseason, he signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the Houston Astros. He provided outfield depth for the team, hitting at a .314 clip in 134 games, en route to a World Series championship.
Ex-Red Sox #3 – Jed Lowrie
Jed Lowrie was a Boston Red Sock from 2008-2011. He was traded to the Houston Astros in 2011 for reliever Mark Melancon. While he has not had as much team success as the first two, he has put up good numbers since leaving the Sox. After the Astros traded Lowrie to the A’s in 2013, he hit 15 homers and drove in 75 runs with a .290 batting average in 154 games. So far this season, Jed Lowrie has exceeded expectations exponentially. In 35 games, he has hit eight home runs and driven in 31 runs (which currently leads the league), with a .340 batting average.
Ex-Red Sox #4 – Jacoby Ellsbury
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Before you dispute the title of “one of our favorite Ex-Red Sox” for Mr. Ellsbury, hear me out. In 2013, Jacoby Ellsbury signed a seven-year, $153 million contract with the New York Yankees. At this point, many Red Sox fans marked him as a traitor, for they expected great things from him for the division rival. The only difference is that he has been ineffective for the Yankees as of late.
Sure, in his first year with the Evil Empire he put up solid numbers, hitting at a .271 clip in 149 games. But since then he has had a couple stays on the DL. Currently, he is on the 60-day DL, thus he has played in zero games for the Yankees. In 2015 and 2017, he missed 51 games and 50 games respectively for various types of injuries. These injuries include concussions, knee sprains, and hip tightness. Jacoby Ellsbury is now one of my favorite players because the Yankees wasted $155 million on him.
