Stars come out to bring some pop and experience to Red Sox spring training

We see Ortiz and Martinez around regularly enough, but we haven’t seen old pal Lester in a long time. The two-time World Series champion and former Sox ace was back in a teaching capacity as a guest instructor for a couple of days beginning Thursday.

“When you’re done playing, you still want to be a part of something,” Lester told MLB.com. “So it was nice to get a phone call and text saying, ‘hey, we want you to come be a part of this.’ It's a good feeling. I think anybody in life just wants to be wanted, right? So it's nice to be wanted, and have your presence appreciated around these guys.”

Members of the Red Sox’s pitching staff certainly have a lot they can learn from Lester — both young and old. The former Sox second-round draft pick can relate to the likes of a Brayan Bello, a young prodigy who has risen through the ranks of Boston’s farm system just like Lester did. Heck, Bello is probably the best homegrown pitcher here since Lester (maybe even with the potential to be more like Pedro than Lester)… 

But Lester can also relate to a guy like Lucas Giolito, a former Chicago All-Star who is trying to turn back the clock to recapture his former dominance. Lester found success early in his career and was able to pitch almost as well on the back nine of his career as he did on the front.

Lester was 84-50 with a 3.77 ERA, two All-Star appearances and a second World Series title with the Cubs in 2016 in seven full seasons after the 2014 trade from Boston. In nine seasons with Boston, he went 110-63 with a 3.64 ERA, 1,386 punch outs and earned his first World Series ring in 2013.

Having a pitcher of Lester’s experience and longevity can only be a good thing for a Sox pitching staff in need of direction and consistency (and I can’t help but wonder if ex-Cubs exec Theo Epstein played a role in bringing Lester back after returning home to the organization himself this offseason…).

Martinez also made an appearance at the complex on Thursday. What his role is during this visit is unclear, but we know he has an affinity for Bello and has worked with him before in years past. 

What better way to develop the player you’ve tabbed as your ace of the future than giving him the counsel of two pitchers with a combined 419 wins, 5,642 strikeouts, 12 All-Star appearances and three World Series championships?

And as for Big Papi, who loves him some Rafael Devers as do the rest of us, perhaps he will be able to impart some wisdom and technique to young slugger Triston Casas. Casas is a budding potential All-Star and clubhouse leader, something Ortiz certainly knows a thing or two about… 

Having Lester, Martinez and Ortiz at camp isn’t likely to suddenly turn the 2024 Red Sox into their storied counterparts from twenty years ago — or even 11 years ago — but their presence serves as a reminder that team culture and heritage matter.

The Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals and Oakland A’s certainly aren’t able to trot out a stable of former superstars like that. Few teams can, and the Red Sox are right to take advantage of that whenever they can.

Sure, maybe some of this is a PR stunt to create a little buzz heading into a season with lower expectations, but when you have access to a brain trust that large and powerful, you’d be crazy not to utilize it.

The more these guys can be around, the better.