Stanton offered 13-year, $325 million contract

Most people, had they been offered a $325 million contract spread out over 13 years, would agree to it immediately. But not Giancarlo Stanton.

“This was the toughest decision of my life. This is 13 years,” Stanton said. “I didn’t even go to school for 13 years, all right? I wanted to make sure this is what I wanted to do in terms of changing things around here.”

Billy Butler and the Oakland Athletics finalized a three-year, $30 million deal that relocates the Kansas City Royals designated hitter to the middle of the A’s lineup.

Butler, a .295 career hitter just two years removed from a 29-home run season, is primary a designated hitter but played 38 games at first base last season in Kansas City.

The Boston Red Sox made a contract offer to free agent starting pitcher Jon Lester earlier this week, according to ESPN.com.

The source said he did not expect Lester, who went 16-11 with a 2.46 ERA with 220 strikeouts last season for Boston and Oakland, to make a quick decision.