FORT MYERS, Fla. - All along, Jon Lester just wanted to be another pitcher — no more and no less.

But that much was impossible last season. Lester was the only pitcher coming back after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, the only one who beat a life-threatening disease.

The Red Sox, understandably, took it slow. They monitored every pitch and every workout and limited him to “B” games and minor-league contests.

This year, his cancer in remission, his weight back to where it was before the shocking diagnosis, he is, finally, mercifully, thankfully, one of the guys.

“I don’t have to worry about putting on weight or counting every pitch,” said Lester. “I’m no longer the special kid getting special treatment.”

Not that his offseason was without its own drama. After starting and winning Game Four of the World Series, the Sox’ clincher, Lester began hearing his name linked to trade rumors for Johan Santana, whom the Minnesota Twins were shopping.

“After the World Series,” he said, “it was tough to hear that, your name being thrown out there. It’s part of baseball, part of the business side of the game. After the first few days, I just didn’t pay attention to it.”

Lester got updates from friends and family, but assured them all: “As long as Theo (Epstein, general manager) doesn’t call me, no news is good news.”

The lefty has yet to throw his cut fastball this spring — by design. Last year, as he was coming back from cancer, he was sidelined for a time with some soreness in his left forearm, the result of an infatuation with the cutter.

“It was one of those freak things,” he said. “I got a little cutter-happy early on and featured it too early. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about now or in the future.”

“It’s always going to be one of Jon’s best pitches,” said manager Terry Francona. “It’s a pretty good put-away pitch. It’s such a good weapon, we certainly don’t want to take it away from him. We just want to have him be careful this spring.”