A’s Trade Home Run Derby King Yoenis Céspedes For Red Sox Ace Jon Lester

You probably haven't been paying attention to baseball this summer, and that's okay. You've been watching the World Cup, or following the NBA free agency frenzy. But as the calendar turns to August, it's time to start boning up on baseball.

The Oakland Athletics are the best team in baseball (66-41), and they've just acquired Red Sox ace Jon Lester — in exchange for popular outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. The A's also get outfielder Jonny Gomes, and kick back a draft pick to the Sox.

Lester, a 30-year-old lefty, has won two World Series titles with Boston and was the only Red Sox All-Star selection this season, with a 10-7 record and a 2.52 ERA. He'd said publicly that he wanted to stay in Boston, but with contract negotiations up in the air, the Red Sox thought it better to deal Lester now and perhaps re-sign him in the offseason. He'll join an Oakland staff that recently added Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs. Have fun hitting against that staff.

All indications are that the A's are "going for it" — they want to win the 2014 World Series, bad.

So bad, in fact, that they were willing to flip Cespedes, who has 17 bombs and 56 RBIs in 2014, and has won the last two Home Run Derby competitions. Plus, he's made a couple of completely absurd put-outs from the outfield this year. The dude has a cannon for an arm. Check this:

The trade looks like a win-win for both teams, though they are headed in different directions (the Sox are in last place in the AL East). Give us your thoughts on the deal in the comments section below.

[via WEEI]