Report: Damon offered three-year deal

11/17/2005
BOSTON -- Just a couple of days after publicly urging the Red Sox to present him with an offer, it appears Johnny Damon has gotten his wish.
The Boston Globe reported on Thursday that the club submitted an initial offer to Damon worth somewhere from $27 to $30 million over three years.
Damon has said publicly numerous times that he is looking for a longer deal, perhaps five years or longer.
"I feel like with my body type, we can do it," Damon told MLB.com on Tuesday. "I'll play center field for the next four or five years and then move to left field and finish off my career."
The left-handed hitter, one of Boston's most popular players the last four years both in the clubhouse and among the fan base, continues to state a preference to stay in Boston, rather than finding a new home.
"Hopefully [Boston] can beat everyone to the punch," said Damon. "I know they have a lot going on. And I know, pretty soon, I have to start listening to other teams."
Though the initial offer is likely to be short of Damon's liking, he said earlier this week that he's encouraged that the Red Sox seem to want to keep him.
"I'm leaving it up to Scott [Boras]," Damon said. "I know the Red Sox have shown that they are interested and that's the good news. Hopefully we can sign a contract and I can finish out my career with the Red Sox and hopefully approach 3,000 hits one of these days with the Red Sox."
Damon has been a key cog for the Sox the last four years. In 2005, he hit .316, scored 117 runs, belted 197 hits, and added 35 doubles, six triples, 10 homers and 75 RBIs. Damon has scored 100-plus in each of the past eight seasons and is a .290 career hitter in 1,555 games.
The Red Sox must offer Damon arbitration by Dec. 7, otherwise they would lose the right to negotiate with him until May 1. Assuming Damon is offered arbitration, the Red Sox would then have until Jan. 8 to work out a deal.
In other news, general manager candidate Jim Beattie told both Boston newspapers that Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino has asked him to come in for a second interview. Beattie, the former Expos general manager who most recently worked in the Orioles' front office, interviewed last Friday in Boston.
Beattie said that no definitive timetable had been set for an interview, but he expected it would take place by early next week.
Lucchino said Tuesday that the Red Sox won't offer any updates on the GM search until Friday at the earliest because of the owners' meetings that are currently taking place in Milwaukee.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/