Notes: Gonzalez could fill shortstop gap

12/08/2005

DALLAS -- With no star shortstops on the free agent market, the Red Sox might turn their attention to the best defensive player in the crop: Alex Gonzalez.
Ironically, Edgar Renteria, who was traded from the Red Sox to the Braves on Thursday, has already been replaced by Gonzalez once in his career.
Back on Dec. 14, 1998, just a year after Renteria had delivered the Marlins their first World Series title with a game-winning hit in Game 7, he was dealt to the Cardinals. The main reason Florida made the deal at the time was the presence of a promising shortstop prospect in Gonzalez.
Gonzalez served as Florida's primary shortstop for the last seven seasons, but that run came to an end Wednesday when the Marlins didn't offer him arbitration.
"I don't comment on negotiations with my clients," said agent Eric Goldschmidt. "But I will say that the Red Sox are one of the teams interested in Alex."
Red Sox special advisor Bill Lajoie said that the club was more likely to replace Renteria with a free agent acquisition than a trade.
Gonzalez, 28, is regarded as a terrific defender and made the All-Star team in 1999.
Hitting is not his specialty, but he has displayed power at times in his career, such as when he belted 23 homers in 2004.
Gonzalez hit .264 with five homers and 45 RBIs in '05.
Royce Clayton and Pokey Reese are among the other free agent shortstops.
Former Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra appears to be marketing himself at other positions this winter, and the Red Sox said they don't have interest in the former two-time batting champion as a shortstop.
Clayton's agent, Greg Genske, also confirmed the Red Sox had expressed interest in the veteran who spent the 2005 season in Arizona.
A less likely scenario is that the Red Sox will stay in-house at shortstop and give the position to Alex Cora. Though the Sox like Cora a lot, the view of the organization is that his best role for the club is as a utility player.
How soon will the Red Sox find a replacement for Renteria?
"As soon as we can," said Lajoie. "We have had contact. We're going to get the best person we can. If that's going to take four weeks or two weeks, whatever it is, that's the kind of the market where they control it a little more than we do."
Lajoie enjoying role: Lajoie has certainly kept busy while serving as the point man in the front office while the Red Sox seek a replacement for Theo Epstein.
Would the 71-year-old Lajoie have interest in being the permanent general manager if he was asked to do so?
"If it was gone about the right way and I was asked, I would certainly consider it," Lajoie said. "But I've told Larry [Lucchino] that I'd rather he chose someone else and then I'll work with that man to get him adjusted to the situation and what's going on. That's the role I would prefer. I feel not an obligation, but I like the people in Boston and I would like to continue to be around them in some capacity, because they are all aspiring young men and they went to meetings with us and learned things, not that they needed to learn, but they learned different GM styles."
Things continue to be fairly quiet with regard to the search for a new general manager, though it has been confirmed that the Red Sox interviewed former Dodgers general manager Dan Evans in Dallas earlier this week.
Evans currently serves as special assistant to the general manager in Seattle and has an energetic personality that could fit well in an environment as hectic as Red Sox Nation.
Jim Beattie, who has been interviewed multiple times, remains in the hunt. Jim Bowden, who interviewed twice, continues to operate as general manager of the Nationals, and there's been no word from the Red Sox of whether he is still a candidate.
Lucchino continues to keep a tight lid on whether there are any in-house candidates. Jed Hoyer, Craig Shipley and Ben Cherington could all be candidates if the internal route is one Lucchino is exploring, albeit under the radar.
Manny talks ongoing: Because of all the work done toward reshaping the infield during the latter stages of the Winter Meetings, the Red Sox were slowed a little in their quest to find a new home for disenchanted slugger Manny Ramirez.
However, the matter is ongoing, as the Red Sox continue to keep in contact with Genske, who represents Ramirez.
"The Red Sox are working on a number of different scenarios," said Genske. "I think there are a few different alternatives in the cooker right now. I'm looking forward to an update later this afternoon."
It remains unclear which teams are interested in Ramirez, though the Red Sox have stated there are five or six.
On other fronts, the Red Sox seemed no further along in their mission to trade David Wells, and status quo was the word on negotiations with free agent center fielder Johnny Damon.

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