Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington met with the media Wednesday to discuss just what went wrong in the team’s courtship of former ace Jon Lester.

Alex Speier has more than 2,000 words from Cherington here, and you should read the whole thing.

But this comment on the team’s failure to lock Lester up before the 2014 season stands out:

“I think we would have liked to have had more chance for dialogue prior to the season. Why that didn’€™t happen, maybe there’€™s more than one reason. I think we can certainly learn from the process. But we desired to have more dialogue prior to the season and made an effort during the season and weren’€™t able to,” said Cherington. “Then we got into free agency and we’€™re able to do it then. Jon did a lot of great things for the Red Sox. We wish him nothing but the best. We’€™re moving on.”

As you recall, the Red Sox offered $70 million before the season started – less than half of what Lester ultimately got from the Cubs. That just might have something to do with the lack of “dialogue” before the season.