Red Sox grab four prospects

12/08/2005
DALLAS -- As has been the case in recent years, the Red Sox were active participants in the Rule 5 Draft, selecting one player in the Major League phase and three in the Triple-A portion.
Boston's Major League selection was right-hander Jamie Vermilyea, who was claimed from the Blue Jays.
As per rules of the Rule 5 Draft, Vermilyea must be on the Major League roster for the entirety of next season unless he's on the disabled list. If he does not make the team out of Spring Training, the Red Sox would then have to offer Vermilyea back to the Blue Jays for $25,000, which is half the purchase price.
"Vermilyea is a guy we had really strong reports on last year and the year before," said Red Sox director of player development Ben Cherington. "He struggled a little bit at the end of this year, but he's a guy who has a sinker, a changeup. We feel if he bounces back and pitches like he did before, he has a chance to help our Major League team. So we just felt it was worth the risk to get a look at him in Spring Training."
The Red Sox also scouted Vermilyea when he pitched for the University of Mexico.
"We like him -- we saw him last year in Double-A, he was very good," said Jason McLeod, Boston's director of amateur scouting. "He's a sinkerball pitcher with very good ground ball rates last year. I actually saw him throw a perfect game once."
Vermilyea is 19-9 with eight saves in 99 Minor League appearances, 22 of which were starts.
The Sox also plucked two righties in the Minor League portion of the draft, claiming Victor Ramos from the Cubs and Jason Richardson from the Braves. Infielder David Bacani was claimed from the Mets.
"Victor Ramos and David Bacani were both guys we felt provided good organizational depth," McLeod said. "Our scouts that had seen them, our Minor League staff, had good things to say about them. Obviously taking them in that phase of the draft, we're hoping they can come in and be stabilizers for us. Anything more than that will just be kind of icing on the cake."
Though recent Rule 5 Draft picks have had less than sensational returns for the Red Sox, they continue to look hard for that sleeper pick.
"It's a less expensive way to bring players into the organization," McLeod said. "By that time, another organization has really helped develop them, spent more money on signing them and developing them at that point. For us, it's trusting your scouts and our development staff. For those of us that spend a lot of time in player evaluation, you really do get amped up. Everyone thinks they're going to strike it rich and get Johan Santana. The data and history tells us that's not the case, but it's still a way to get your juices flowing when you can cherry-pick another organization."

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

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/

Loretta: Ready for East Coast baseball

12/09/2005
There had been a lot of rumors flying around for the last three or four days and I'd been in contact with San Diego general manager Kevin Towers, so I had some idea that a trade involving me was a possibility. But I found out about the trade officially from Kevin on Thursday.
I have a lot of different thoughts and emotions about it. I make my home in San Diego and I've had a great time there. I had some of my best years in baseball there, making the playoffs for the first time in my career and having some personal success as well. I also felt comfortable in San Diego and I like the organization, so it's difficult to leave.
On the flip side, I'm very excited about going to Boston from a purely baseball and professional standpoint. Going to a team with that kind of history and that contends every year is very exciting. I'm also looking forward to experiencing East Coast baseball and that level of intensity.
Dave Roberts called me yesterday and told me that Boston is an amazing place to play and that I'm going to really enjoy playing there. In addition to being a teammate on the Padres last year, Dave is one of my neighbors in San Diego, so I suspect I'm going to lean on him in the coming weeks for some pointers about living and playing in Boston.
I spent about two-plus years in the American League early in my career before the Brewers switched over to the National League. Honestly, I probably prefer the National League game with the pitcher hitting and the additional strategy that entails. But there's some great things about playing in the AL, too.
I'll enjoy playing in Fenway Park again, too. We've been there as recently as 2004 with the Padres during Interleague Play. But I've always enjoyed playing in the older, historic parks like Fenway and Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium.
I look forward to the challenges and the opportunities that the trade will bring.
The Padres traded Mark Loretta to the Red Sox on Wednesday in exchange for catcher Doug Mirabelli. Loretta, who has a .301 batting average over 11 Major League seasons, had his best season with the Padres in 2004, when he batted .335 with 47 doubles, 16 homers, 76 RBIs and 108 runs scored.

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

Sox head home with a new look

12/08/2005
DALLAS -- The Red Sox left Dallas with a decidedly new look to their team, adding second baseman Mark Loretta and top-rated third-base prospect Andy Marte while subtracting veteran backup catcher Doug Mirabelli and shortstop Edgar Renteria.
Of course, the Red Sox couldn't complete their entire agenda during a hectic Winter Meetings, as they still are exploring trade opportunities for Manny Ramirez and David Wells, both of whom have asked for trades out of Boston.
"At this point, we've made three significant trades," said Bill Lajoie, who serves as special advisor/baseball operations for the Red Sox. "As you know, we still have places to improve, so, hopefully, we're halfway to our objective of putting a championship team on the field."
Deals done: Acquired Loretta from the Padres for Mirabelli; acquired Marte from the Braves for Renteria and cash considerations; offered arbitration to 3B Bill Mueller, CF Johnny Damon and 2B Tony Graffanino; declined to offer arbitration to LHP Mike Myers, 1B Kevin Millar, RHP Matt Mantei and 1B John Olerud.
Rule 5 activity: Claimed right-hander Jamie Vermilyea from the Blue Jays in the Major League phase. In Triple-A phase, Boston claimed right-hander Victor Ramos (Cubs), right-hander Jason Richardson (Braves) and infielder David Bacani (Mets).
Goals accomplished: Boston filled a major hole in the infield with the deal for Loretta, who was one of the best offensive players at his position two years ago. The Red Sox also landed a top-line prospect in Marte for Renteria, something that was needed after losing Hanley Ramirez to the Marlins.
Unfinished business: Aside from continuing to explore the market for Ramirez and Wells, the Sox need to find a new shortstop and figure out who will play first base. They also continue to seek upgrades in the bullpen and have a surplus of depth at starting pitching to help pursue that need.
Front office's bottom line: "Quite frankly and honestly, I'm very happy with what we were able to accomplish here. We worked very hard." -- Lajoie

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

Report: Sox to go with two-headed GM

12/09/2005
BOSTON -- The Red Sox might soon have a resolution to their ongoing search for a general manager, and it is one that would provide stability to the organization through the rest of the offseason.
According to a report in Friday's Boston Herald, the Red Sox are expected to "announce a restructuring of the baseball operations staff in which Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer will share responsibilities as general manager."
The report indicated that the announcement would occur "within the next several days," stated that Hoyer and Cherington would head the front office throughout the 2006 season and the club would probably re-evaluate things from there.
Hoyer and Cherington have taken on increasingly important roles since Theo Epstein decided not to return as general manager on Oct. 31.
For the last few weeks, the baseball operations staff has worked as a group, with baseball veteran Bill Lajoie serving as the point man in a group that has also included Hoyer, Cherington, Craig Shipley and senior advisor Jeremy Kapstein.
Under this setup, the Red Sox have had a productive offseason, making a blockbuster trade for Josh Beckett, landing second baseman Mark Loretta in another deal and sending Edgar Renteria to Atlanta for Andy Marte, who is regarded as one of the best prospects in the game.
If the report in the Herald is accurate, this same group would be able to proceed along with plans that have been in motion for weeks and not have to regroup with a new general manager in place.
For instance, the Red Sox have already had several trade talks with teams involving superstar slugger Manny Ramirez and left-hander David Wells, both of whom have stated a preference to be dealt.
The Red Sox are also in the midst of negotiations with free agent center fielder Johnny Damon.
Lajoie, prior to leaving the Winter Meetings on Thursday, noted how much he enjoyed working with this group and sounded as if he was hoping for a setup in which he could stay and continue to mentor the executives he's been working so closely with over the last few weeks.
While Lajoie, 71, would certainly be qualified to serve as the general manager, he said that he preferred that club president/CEO Larry Lucchino give the job to someone else. Lajoie also noted that he wasn't interested in being an interim general manager.
"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," said Lajoie.

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If such a restructuring is announced, Lajoie will likely take on a key role as an advisor, which he has essentially done since Epstein hired him three years ago.
Cherington's strong suit is player development, as that is the department he has been in charge of for the last several seasons. However, Cherington has gained a deeper knowledge of the Major League system while working with the committee since the beginning of November.
Hoyer, who turned 32 earlier this week, knows the inner workings of Boston's baseball operations staff as well as anyone, given how closely he worked with Epstein in his role as assistant to the general manager.
Both men seem comfortable in their dealings with the media, which would certainly help in a market such as Boston.
As for external candidates, the Red Sox have interviewed Nationals GM Jim Bowden and former Orioles and Expos exec Jim Beattie multiple times. Former Dodgers GM Dan Evans, who currently works for the Mariners, was interviewed at the Winter Meetings.
Dave Wilder, the director of player development for the White Sox, needed to know his fate by Dec. 4. When things were still uncertain, it was believed that he pulled himself out of the running so he could focus on his duties with the White Sox.

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

Renteria dealt to Braves

12/08/2005
DALLAS -- The reshaping of the Red Sox continued on Thursday with a major move, as the club shipped shortstop Edgar Renteria and cash considerations to the Braves for highly-touted third-base prospect Andy Marte.
Less than a year after signing Renteria to a four-year, $40 million pact, the Red Sox decided to part ways with the three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner.
Renteria, except for brief spurts, never seemed to get in a groove during his only season with the Red Sox. He hit .276 with 100 runs, eight homers and 70 RBIs while committing a career-high 30 errors.
According to multiple sources, the Red Sox will pay $11 million of the $32 million that Renteria is still owed, which includes $3 million from the signing bonus and a $3 million buyout if the shortstop's option for 2009 is not picked up by Atlanta.
"It's part of baseball today," said Red Sox special advisor/baseball operations Bill Lajoie. "It's something we don't want to make a habit of doing, but in this case, we felt like the risk was worth [the reward]."
Instead of focusing on what went wrong with Renteria, the Red Sox accentuated how fortunate they were to gain player with as much promise as Marte.
"We did lose Hanley Ramirez in the [Josh Beckett] trade, he was our No. 1 [prospect]," said Lajoie. "So we've acquired a ready player for the Major Leagues -- in our opinion, he is ready to go. At 21, he was an established Triple-A player. As the Braves' scouting director put it, if he was in the draft this June, he would be the No. 1 player selected, so that speaks pretty well for Andy Marte."
The big question with Marte is where he fits into the club's 2006 plans. While Marte could conceivably be the third baseman of the future in Boston, the Red Sox have Mike Lowell under contract for the next two seasons.
The Red Sox have a vacancy at first base, and could possibly lose left fielder Manny Ramirez in a trade or center fielder Johnny Damon to free agency, so there could be outfield openings as well.
"Right now, we do see him as a future third baseman," said Lajoie. "I would like to see him get into the lineup, and if it has to be as an outfielder, we may discuss that with him when we do talk to him, just for the first year. Just to get his bat in the lineup."
A Dominican Republic native, the 22-year-old Marte, who hits and throws right-handed, has belted 20 homers in the Minor Leagues in three of the last four years. He was ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the International League in 2005.
The move puts a huge question mark on who will play shortstop for the Red Sox in 2005.
But as Lajoie pointed out earlier this week, the Red Sox don't need to field a starting nine until April.
According to Lajoie, who has essentially been acting as Boston's general manager while the club searches for a new one, the Sox are more likely to acquire a free agent shortstop than trade for one.
One of the most seasoned candidates of a fairly thin shortstop market is Royce Clayton, who hit .270 with two homers and 44 RBIs for the Diamondbacks in 2005.
"I've talked to the Red Sox about Royce over the last few days," said Greg Genske, who represents Clayton. "It's certainly possible that they're going to be making him an offer. At this stage of his career, he wants to play for a competitive team."
Other free agents shortstops are Pokey Reese, Alex Gonzalez (Marlins), Alex Gonzalez (Devil Rays) and Nomar Garciaparra. While Garciaparra's name is sure to pique the interest of any Red Sox fan, Lajoie said his name has not been discussed in the team's internal discussions for a new shortstop. There's a strong possibility Garciaparra will play another position in 2006 for whichever team he signs with.
Marte has long been considered one of the top prospects in the highly-rated Braves farm system. He hit .275 with 20 homers and 74 RBIs for Triple-A Richmond this past season. In 57 at-bats with Atlanta last season, he hit .140.
Already this offseason, the Red Sox have landed potential ace Josh Beckett and Gold Glove winner Lowell from the Marlins and second baseman Mark Loretta from the Padres.
From their team of a year ago, the Sox have subtracted, among others, first baseman Kevin Millar, left-handed reliever Mike Myers, backup catcher Doug Mirabelli and Renteria. Bill Mueller is also all but certain to be gone and the status of Damon remains in limbo.
The team could still undergo further transformation, as Ramirez and veteran left-hander David Wells have requested trades.
Intriguingly, the Red Sox have undergone this transformation without an acting general manager, as Theo Epstein stepped down from his post on Oct. 31 and the baseball operations staff has operated under a committee scenario since then.
It remains an enigma why Renteria, a polished veteran, had such a tough time getting acclimated to playing in Boston. The perception was that he was uncomfortable in such a pressurized market, but Jeffrey Lane, who represents Renteria, feels that was not the case.
"I think any reports that he was nervous or this or that, I really don't think that was the case," Lane said. "I just think he got off slow there and his defense didn't come like it usually does. And as far as his offensive numbers, he still scored 100 runs and had 70 RBIs, so it wasn't as bad. In my conversations with him, I never heard anything about the pressure, or, 'I don't like the fans,' or anything like that."
In making the deal, Braves general manager John Schuerholz was confident Renteria would return to the All-Star form he displayed for so long in St. Louis.
"We were aware of [the 2005 dropoff], of course, but we looked at him in his time in the National League and feel like when he gets back to the National league, in Atlanta, we believe that the Renteria of old will resurface and that's the player we'll have," said Schuerholz. "He's still a young guy with a lot of productive years ahead of him, we believe."
The 30-year-old Renteria is a .288 career hitter with 91 homers and 635 RBIs in 1,449 games.
As for Marte, he is playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, and Sox scouts returned with positive reports to Lajoie.
"This is a throwback type of third baseman," Lajoie said. "This is the power corner player that you hope will hit 25 or 30 homers on a consistent basis when he does play in the Major Leagues. This is the big guy with power, strong arm, good hands. I don't want to compare him to any in the past, but you know the type I'm talking about. That's traditionally been a power position."

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

Reports: Sox offer Manny for Tejada

12/11/2005
BOSTON -- Manny Ramirez for Miguel Tejada? That's a deal that would hardly do justice to the adjective "blockbuster."
Such a proposal has at least been offered by the Red Sox, according to The Boston Globe and Boston Herald, and also intimated by multiple media outlets in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area.
Back in late October, word surfaced that Ramirez had asked the Red Sox to trade him, citing an unhappiness with playing in a city which deprived his privacy.
Not long after, the Red Sox confirmed that they promised the slugger they would make a good-faith attempt to trade him.
As the Winter Meetings came to a close on Thursday, Orioles superstar Tejada told a reporter from the Associated Press that he would also like a change of scenery, due to Baltimore's inability to contend in the American League East.
The Red Sox indeed have a shortstop opening that Tejada would fit perfectly into, as the club traded Edgar Renteria to the Braves earlier this week.
While Ramirez and Tejada, two of the game's best offensive players, looks like a great match on paper, there is one issue that could kill even the possibility of such an exchange.
As a 10-5 man (10 years of service time, five with his existing team), Ramirez has the right to veto any trade. Despite doubts about whether Ramirez would accept a trade to the Orioles, a report in Sunday's Washington Post attributed to a source close to Ramirez that he "would 'absolutely' accept a trade to Baltimore."
Efforts by MLB.com to reach Greg Genke, Ramirez's agent, were unsuccessful.
The Red Sox have a club policy of not discussing specific trade rumors.
Another obstacle is that the Orioles will reportedly make an attempt to persuade Tejada to change his mind before making a serious attempt to trade him.
One of the game's most prolific shortstops, Tejada is two seasons into a six-year, $72 million deal, and the Orioles have not said that they are actively seeking to unload their superstar.
Ramirez is owed $57 million over the final three seasons of his contract.
The Red Sox spent the early part of the Winter Meetings speaking with several undisclosed teams about Ramirez. When no quick match could be found, the Red Sox moved on to other matters, dealing backup catcher Doug Mirabelli to the Padres for second baseman Mark Loretta, and trading Renteria to the Braves for prospect Andy Marte.
At the close of the meetings, Red Sox senior advisor Bill Lajoie said that the club would continue to look for a new home for Ramirez, though they couldn't make any guarantees they'd be successful.
"We have laid some groundwork and there are clubs that haven't filled the needs that they talked about," said Lajoie. "There would be an opportunity to pursue this. It just won't be in this arena but it will be pursued."

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

Sox celebrate 'Christmas at Fenway'

12/10/2005
BOSTON -- Red Sox fan Dottie Duffy had a quick answer when asked on Saturday what her next move would be if she was the team's new general manager.
"I'm the general manager? I'm gonna retire so that Theo can come back," the Cambridge resident who walks the two miles from her home to Fenway Park for, she says, about 35 games a year, said at Saturday's "Christmas At Fenway" event.
Theo, of course, is Theo Epstein, the former general manager who rejected a contract offer from the club in late October. But, since he left, rumors have flown that he'll be coming back -- and a Saturday report in the Boston Globe said the club was working toward having Epstein in an advisory role for young co-GMs Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer. Other reports have Epstein involved in everything that's gone on with the club since he left.
Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino said the Sox are "closer" to settling the GM situation, adding, "We don't have any announcements today, but within the next week, we think we'll have some plans that make sense for us.
"It's better that we make our announcements at one time and not at a holiday party."
The GM situation, as well as numerous other matters concerning the very busy and rather chaotic offseason, were the talk of the day as the Sox held the now-annual event. The day allowed fans to purchase tickets for the 2006 season while mingling with Sox names from Lucchino, to manager Terry Francona, to young players (including Kevin Youkilis), to former Red Sox righty Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd ... to Santa and Mrs. Claus.
There was also a live feed on the club's NESN station -- which started with play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo interviewing Francona. The manager said there's still work to be done and it will take time, but added, "We'll have a team we'll be pretty proud of."
Francona, getting around well after recent knee replacement surgery, then joined a live show on WEEI, the flagship station of the club's radio network, predicting that free agent center fielder Johnny Damon "will be back" and saying, "Whatever works out [with the club] is going to work out."
Saturday worked out for the fans.
Last year, the paying customers waited out in the cold for five to six hours before the doors opened for the sale of "Sox Packs" and individual game tickets. This time around, an e-mail system led to a more organized setup and far fewer problems, leaving fans in a relaxed and happy mood the day after the first snowstorm of the winter season.
"Absolutely," said Steve Waystack of Salem, N.H. "This is much more orderly and organized, definitely -- the numbering systems [wristbands handed out upon arrival], no line-breakers."
Short of resigning from her new position, Duffy said, "I think we need to sign Johnny Damon. We lost Pedro [Martinez] last year because we didn't offer him enough or whatever, but we need to sign Damon. He's a great leadoff hitter, and I don't care what anybody says about his arm, we need a guy on base.
"My second concern is to get Miguel Tejada. I mean, come on, that's what it's all about," she said.
It reportedly took the Sox only a matter of hours to act when Tejada said he wanted out of Baltimore, with Boston apparently offering Manny Ramirez Friday in a swap of high-priced disgruntled players.
"My next move is trade and pick up Tejada," Waystack said. "I hate to say it, but if we unload Manny, I'd love to see us get Tejada."
But the general feeling is that there's no way that Ramirez, a 10-5 player with veto rights, would OK a move to Baltimore.
"No way," Waystack said. "But there's still got to be some way to get Tejada. And I'm leery about Johnny D. -- somehow getting another outfielder [is important if Damon leaves]."
Karen Frawley, who drove to Fenway from Connecticut with her friend, Jacki Berriman, said she thinks Ramirez will stay. If not, and if changes keep taking place, Berriman said, "It's going to be a whole new team next year. As someone said, get a program, because you won't be able to tell the players. It's like, 'Who's On First,' from Abbott and Costello."
Along those lines, Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills, talking to the crowd, said, "We're probably going to show up around the 18th of February (in Spring Training) ... and hand out name cards."
Friends Bruce Fox and Walt Snitko and their wives drove down from Dublin, N.H. and were rewarded with tickets for many games, including visits by the New York Yankees. The pair started going to Spring Training a few years ago -- once attending 13 games in 12 days -- and will do so again, even though they're a bit worried about the faces that could be missing because of the World Baseball Classic that's taking place in March.
Snitko, who is taking the Sox' cruise next month, was thrilled with his ticket package, and said that people were waiting right outside to try to buy them from him, almost as soon as he got them.
Mills and Sox pitching coach Dave Wallace fielded questions from the fans covering a wide variety of topics. At one point, Fox asked if Tejada would be happy playing in Boston and Ramirez would be happy playing in Baltimore. Wallace, who had the microphone, turned and handed it to Mills and said, "Here you go Millsie." Mills said both could be happy in new homes, but both also said that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for the club to be stuck with Ramirez.
"My gut feeling is he will be back," Mills said, who also said, "I think Johnny would love to come back. He loves Boston, he loves the fans, he loves the team and the other players on the ballclub."
As far as the now-vacant shortstop spot is concerned, Wallace said the Sox would be fine if Alex Cora, currently on the roster, got the job.
"People around here don't realize Alex Cora is a pretty good player. He played shortstop every day for the Dodgers and they went to the playoffs."
Mills, talking about the potential for Damon and newly acquired second baseman Mark Loretta at the top of the Sox order, said, "We could feasibly get through the first inning with opposing pitchers throwing 30-35 pitches in the first inning."

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

Sox express interest in Rocket return

12/11/2005
BOSTON -- The Red Sox have at least explored the possibility of re-acquiring perhaps the finest pitcher in the history of their franchise.
Earlier this week, the Houston Astros did not offer arbitration to future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens, meaning the earliest he could return to the hometown team he's pitched for the last two years is May 1.
With that in mind, the Red Sox have let it be known to representatives of The Rocket that they would be interested in discussing a reunion for Clemens in Boston, who left the club as a free agent following the 1996 season.
"We had an internal discussion and concluded we should make an initial call to let the Hendricks brothers know we were open to discuss Roger's return if he should have interest in the Red Sox in 2006," Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino told The Boston Globe. "Nothing further."
The Globe reported that the contact has been made with the Hendricks brothers, and Clemens is now aware that his original Major League team, the club he won the first three of his record-setting seven Cy Young awards, has interest in bringing him back.
The possibility of Clemens returning to Boston might be a long shot, as there is speculation that his top desire, if he stays active, would be to return to the Astros, even though it would be after the start of the season.
Clemens has loved living at home with his family the last two years, and his son Koby is now a prospect in the Houston farm system.
However, Boston, the place where he began his legendary career and pitched 13 seasons, remains a city Clemens is fond of, and he still has several friends in the area.
When he left the Red Sox for Toronto nine years ago, all the bad blood he had was directed at Dan Duquette, the team's general manager at the time. Duquette hasn't been with the Red Sox since 2001, and Clemens has generally spoken favorably of the Red Sox the last few years.
With 192 wins, he remains tied with Cy Young as the winningest pitcher in Red Sox history. It would certainly be enticing to see Clemens have a chance to pass Young.
If the Red Sox were successful in convincing Clemens to return, he would join a rotation that also includes Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield. It would be interesting to see Clemens team with all three of those men.
Beckett, a native of Texas, has long idolized Clemens. Schilling has long been on record as saying an inspirational chat with Clemens -- the Rocket basically gave him a kick in the pants -- was a key driving force in the success of his career. And Wakefield and Clemens were teammates during the final two years of Rocket's first tour of duty in Boston, and the two men have great respect for each other.
The fact that the Red Sox are exploring Clemens is just the latest fascinating tale in what has been an offseason of noteworthy developments.
Theo Epstein stepped down as general manager on Oct. 31, and his position has yet to be filled. However, now there have been rumblings in both Boston newspapers that owner John W. Henry is hoping to bring Epstein back in an advisory capacity. The Red Sox haven't commented on those reports, or rumblings that in-house executives Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer will share GM responsibilities for 2006.
Even without a general manager, the Red Sox have made major moves, dealing for Beckett, trading backup catcher Doug Mirabelli for second baseman Mark Loretta, and sending shortstop Edgar Renteria to the Braves for top prospect Andy Marte.
As intriguing as all of the other developments have been, a Clemens return would likely top everything.

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

Mailbag: Infield questions abound

12/12/2005
Welcome to another edition of the Red Sox mailbag. Since we last spoke, the Red Sox have added one middle infielder (Mark Loretta) and subtracted another (Edgar Renteria). Without further ado, let's go right to this week's e-mails.
With an opening at shortstop now that Renteria is gone and Miguel Tejada recently saying he wants to be traded, would a Manny Ramirez-for-Tejada trade be possible? Granted, Baltimore isn't on the West Coast, but Tejada would be a great solution at shortstop, and Baltimore has been looking for outfield help, making the trade seem feasible. -- Dan S., Southbury, Conn.
There is one major problem here. Manny is a 10-5 man (10 years in the league, five with his current team). That means he can veto any trade. Frankly, I'm skeptical that Manny would approve a trade to the Orioles, a team that hasn't exactly been in contention the past few years. I agree that the Red Sox will pursue every avenue to see if Tejada is available. Perhaps they can trade Manny somewhere else and get a third team involved to land Tejada. I just don't see a Manny-for-Tejada, one-for-one deal being a realistic possibility.
Why are the Red Sox considering getting a shortstop when they already have Dustin Pedroia, who many thought would be their everyday second baseman this year? He was a shortstop in college not so long ago. Also, how do you think Andy Marte figures into the Red Sox's future?-- Kaushik V., Needham, Mass.
The organization seems to believe that Pedroia's best position in the Major Leagues is at second base, which is why they converted him. If they were 100 percent sold that he was ready for full-time Major League action, they probably wouldn't have made the deal for Loretta. There's no reason to rush Pedroia. Don't forget that the guy was in college less than two years ago.
As for Marte, his long-term future is at third base. His short-term future might be anywhere the Red Sox can get his bat into the lineup.
Why have the Red Sox not signed All-Star Johnny Damon to a new contract? Why don't they just give him what he wants? He has been a great part of the Red Sox, and the fans love him. Is there any chance that the team will up free agent Pokey Reese to play shortstop in 2006?-- Alex K., Boston
The Red Sox and Damon are involved in negotiations, which seem to be moving along at a standard pace. You don't just give someone what they ask for the second they ask for it. That is not how baseball negotiations go. Each side is stating its case, and I think a resolution might be reached around the same Christmas Eve date that Jason Varitek signed a year ago.
As for Reese, I'm sure he's on their radar, but he's had major durability issues the past several seasons. Reese's upside is that he's a supreme defender and a fan favorite in Boston. Ultimately, I think the Red Sox will probably go in another direction, though.
Why did the Sox trade Renteria to the Braves for a Minor League third basemen? Granted, Renteria had an off year, but who doesn't? -- Mike C., Council Bluffs, Iowa
They decided not to pass up the opportunity to get one of the elite prospects in the game in Marte. Because Renteria's dip in performance in 2005 was so significant, particularly on defense, the Red Sox had concerns that he was either declining as a player or not suited to play in a market like Boston. With three years left on Renteria's contract, the Red Sox did not want to find out the hard way that their fears were well founded.
With the Red Sox in the market for a Major League shortstop, would they consider bringing back Nomar Garciaparra? Although he's had some injuries in the past few seasons, Garciaparra had gotten pretty hot toward the end of last season in Chicago, and we have all seen what Garciaparra was and I believe will once again be capable of.-- Paul, Exeter, R.I.
The Red Sox no longer view Garciaparra as shortstop material. In fact, he has mainly been marketing himself this winter as someone who could play other infield positions or even the outfield. Garciaparra making a return as Boston's shortstop is simply not in the cards.
On the "Transactions" page of the Web site, there's a note saying the Sox "released OF Gabe Kapler" on Nov. 18. What does this mean for him next year and as a member of the Red Sox organization? I realize that his injury could make it difficult for him to start the season on time, but will he remain with the club?-- Becky K., Brookline, Mass.
The decision to release Kapler was mainly a clerical one, from what I can gather. It would not surprise me at all to see Kapler re-signed once he's recovered from his injury and ready to play again. The Red Sox love Kapler's tenacity on the field and attitude off of it.

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

Notes: Damon, Manny, Boomer in limbo

12/13/2005
BOSTON -- While the Red Sox general manager situation has finally been resolved, the status of free agent center fielder Johnny Damon and superstar slugger Manny Ramirez (who wants to be traded) remains in limbo.
Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino indicated that he would continue to play a prominent role, along with co-general manager Jed Hoyer, in negotiations with Damon and agent Scott Boras.
"There has been contact with the Red Sox and Scott in the last few days," said Hoyer. "We continue to talk, we want Johnny to come back here. Those negotiations are ongoing."
As for Ramirez, he was reportedly offered to the Orioles for Miguel Tejada, but it remains unknown if Baltimore will deal their superstar shortstop.
"The discussions about Manny's trade possibilities go on almost daily," said Lucchino. "We've had plenty of discussion on that front. Certainly the Tejada rumor fueled some further speculation, but we're not going to go into specific trade details."
Left-hander David Wells also asked to be traded and the Red Sox continue to explore the market for the veteran.
"I know Craig Shipley has talked to David Wells a few times," said Hoyer. "We are going to look to move David, but for a 15-game winner, a left-hander, in a staring pitching market, we're going to expect a fair return."
Shortstop search continues: Amid rumors of trying to get Tejada, the Red Sox continue to tackle the free agent market at shortstop. Alex Gonzalez -- who has spent his entire career with the Marlins -- is probably the best of a thin crop.
"We have a list," said Hoyer. "I think when we made that trade [of Edgar Renteria], we certainly opened up a hole. That's not something you want to do. We just felt like the opportunity to get Andy Marte is rare."
As for first base, Hoyer indicated that the best option might be to stay in-house.
"We have two very good corner bats, and now a third with Andy Marte," Hoyer said. "I think that first base, sure, we'd like to add another corner bat but that's hardly a pressing thing. We have [Kevin] Youkilis, we have [Mike] Lowell, now we have Marte.
"We're in a great situation. There's nothing better than having surplus. As of today, I think Marte would start the year in Pawtucket. The guy just did turn 22 years old. He was a college junior last year playing Triple-A. That's pretty special."
Record-setting ticket sales: The Red Sox shattered a previous club record, set a year ago, as more than 200,000 tickets were sold during the first weekend of sales for the 2006 season.
"Seeing the fans' enthusiasm, cheerfulness, and commitment is inspiring," Lucchino said. "The degree to which they care about every aspect of our organization is nothing short of remarkable. You can characterize our reaction by using the same phrase that John Henry used about Fenway Park back in March: It never gets old."
Tito does the Pops: Red Sox manager Terry Francona will narrate 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' at the 22nd annual Boston Pops' Christmas benefit concert on Wednesday night.
Francona, who recently underwent knee replacement surgery, has made a speedy recovery after spending a couple of weeks on crutches.

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

Clemens intrigues Red Sox

12/12/2005
BOSTON -- A day after it became public knowledge that the Red Sox had made overtures to the agents of Roger Clemens on the topic of bringing the Rocket back to Boston, club president/CEO Larry Lucchino was asked what the team's level of interest is in the future Hall of Famer.
"It's high, from our point of view," said Lucchino. "But all we've done is planted a seed. We don't know much about what he's thinking and he's certainly going to take time."
Lucchino couldn't help but note what a great script it would be for the ageless Clemens to return to the spot where he first emerged into a superstar. Could there be any more fitting way for Clemens, who turns 44 in August, to end a legendary career?
"From our point of view, we just wanted to plant a seed and tell him that it would be almost a storybook way to end his career, but it's completely up to him obviously to make the decisions he wants to make when he wants to make them," said Lucchino.
The past couple of seasons, Clemens has taken his time before deciding whether to come back in pitch.
In both cases, he did so for his hometown Houston Astros.
But the Astros did not offer Clemens arbitration last week, meaning that the earliest he could re-join the 2005 National League champions would be May 1.
The Red Sox, along with the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball, have the opportunity to secure his services before that time.

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

Red Sox would welcome Theo back

12/12/2005
BOSTON -- For those keeping score at home, it took 11 minutes and 34 seconds for the first question regarding Theo Epstein's possible return to the Red Sox to be asked by the assembled media on Monday, who were gathered around to witness the naming of Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer as co-general managers.
But rest assured, thoughts of Theo raced through the minds of reporters long before that.
Epstein remains a hot topic, and the Red Sox did not dismiss the idea that their erstwhile general manager could figure back into the mix in a yet-to-be-determined capacity.
President of baseball operations? Senior consultant? Those are just a couple of possibilities.
"I have talked to Theo a couple of times since he made his decision," said Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino. "I certainly have had extensive conversations with Theo in the past about him playing a role other than general manager."
And despite Epstein's somewhat stunning decision to leave his post as general manager on Oct. 31, Lucchino confirmed that the club would certainly be open to his return.
"I would say that the door's been really ajar for some time," said Lucchino. "Until Theo goes to work for another baseball organization, we'll keep a light on in the window for the possibility of him coming back and helping us in this new structure. It's premature to discuss exactly what role, if any, Theo would have. All we're saying is ... if there's a fit, we would like to see it happen.
"Yes, there have been discussions [with Epstein] since the day Theo declined our offer about him coming back and playing some kind of role going forward. We've talked to him about that, and certainly John [Henry] has and Tom [Werner] has."
One thing that is notable is the change in the way Lucchino is now fielding questions about Epstein. Remember, back on Nov. 10 it was Lucchino, apparently seeking closure, who issued a broad statement on the departure of the man he promoted into the general manager position three years earlier. In the weeks following that, any inquiry regarding Epstein would typically be fielded with two words -- no comment.
There was a much different tone to Lucchino on Monday, who suggested that the return of Epstein couldn't help but enhance the club's efforts to put a winning team on the field.
"I said a minute ago that our job is to put the strongest baseball team together, and that starts with a strong as possible front office and as strong a possible baseball operations department," Lucchino said. "Theo is an immensely talented guy who has proved himself over the last several years here. If he is comfortable and happy and feels he could be productive in this organization, in this structure, we would welcome it."
By promoting Hoyer and Cherington, two of Epstein's most trusted aides, into the position as co-general managers, it has brought increasing logic to the speculation that a return to the Red Sox would be favorable to Epstein, who is still living in the Boston area.
Both men are on record as saying they would have no opposition to Epstein coming back to the fold.
"I don't want to prognosticate, but yeah, I would welcome his return," said Hoyer. "Theo is great at what he does. I've used the analogy a couple of times today, we'd never turn down a superstar on the field, we'd try to find a way to make it work. And I'd say the same thing about the front office. The more great employees we can have, the better."
"It's a little too premature, but, again, as I said before, I have great, great respect for the guy," said Cherington. "He's helped me a lot in my career. I'd be excited at the opportunity to work with him again."
Lucchino chose not to speculate whether Epstein will come back, and, if so, how soon.
"I can't answer that, I can't predict the future in that regard," said Lucchino.

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

Red Sox name co-GMs

12/12/2005
BOSTON -- The Red Sox front office took a new and somewhat creative shape Monday, when it was announced that Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington will, in tandem, fill the general manager duties that Theo Epstein so aptly filled from Nov. 25, 2002 until Oct. 31 of this year.
That's right, Hoyer and Cherington, as had been speculated for the last couple of days, were named co-general managers.
What exactly does that mean?
For starters, it means that the Red Sox will maintain a degree of stability in their front office as two of their hardest workers over the last several seasons will take charge of the baseball operations department.
"Both are experienced members of our front office," said Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino. "Ben is going into his eighth year with the Boston Red Sox. Jed is going into his fifth year with the Boston Red Sox. We are enormously proud of the work that they have done already in their career. They have been major contributors in a variety of different areas to the success of this club and to the success of the club on the field in particular. So it is with an enormous sense of pride and satisfaction that we announce to you that the co-GMs of the Boston Red Sox going forward will be Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington."
With such a setup, there remains the possibility that Epstein will re-emerge as either a consultant or the head of the baseball operations department, albeit in a title different than the one he vacated on Halloween.
"I think that it's fairest to say that we've made a big step forward going today and we'll see what happens in the future," said Lucchino. "Certainly Theo is a good friend of all of us up here. He's worked very closely with all of these guys in the past. I would say that the door's been really ajar for some time. Until Theo goes to work for another baseball organization, we'll keep a light on in the window for the possibility of him coming back and helping us in this new structure."
Lucchino was asked how long he envisioned the current setup lasting.
"This is the arrangement we are going forward with for 2006," he said. "Will there be other changes or possible additions? I think that's always possible. My job, our job, is to put the best front office we can together so that we have the team on the field we can have."
Of course, inquiries at the press conference immediately began flooding in about how the responsibilities will be delegated between Cherington and Hoyer.
In short, both men will continue focusing on many of the same areas they worked on under Epstein, only with increased say in the ultimate decisions.
Hoyer will mainly be in charge of Major League transactions and contracts while Cherington, the team's director of player development for the last three seasons, will be the point man on Minor League matters, particularly player development and scouting.
The two men, both New Hampshire natives, are close friends and working associates, and seemed to be comfortable with the new -- if somewhat unorthodox -- arrangement.
"I think it's actually a pretty natural division," said Hoyer, 32. "I've been working mostly on Major League transactions and contracts the last three years. Ben's been working on player development, so I think we're obviously going to have some overlap but we think it's a pretty natural division. Me working on Major League transactions for the most part, professional scouting, Ben working on player development and amateur scouting."
While the general public can't help but note how a similar setup failed in Baltimore -- Jim Beattie was recently removed from what amounted to co-GM duties with Mike Flanagan -- there are clear differences in this case.
For starters, Flanagan and Beattie had never worked together until they joined forces in Baltimore. And, at least on the surface, their roles were never as clearly defined as the outline Lucchino has provided for Hoyer and Cherington.
"One of the reasons that this is going to work with Jed and me is that, not only do we complement each other well as far as our strengths, but we have an incredible relationship built on trust and that's going to allow this partnership to work," said the 31-year-old Cherington, who has overseen a vastly improved Red Sox farm system the last three years.
Lucchino, as has been his pattern in some previous GM searches, methodically explored the external market before opting to go the internal market. Beattie, Nationals GM Jim Bowden, White Sox director of player development Dave Wilder and Mariners executive (and former Dodgers GM) Dan Evans had all been interviewed for the position. Several other candidates took themselves out of the running, including Dayton Moore (Braves), Tony LeCava (Blue Jays) and Chris Antonetti (Indians).
Ultimately, Lucchino opted for the direction that should provide a less jarring transition for the team as it works through the rest of the winter, and into 2006.
"We spent a fair bit of time talking to these external candidates, many of whom have been identified for you, some of whom were not," Lucchino said. "But the second stage of the process began recently; I would say a week or two ago, when we began to explore internal possibilities and an internal restructuring. And as a result of that process, John Henry, Tom Werner, and I are proud to be able to say that we have, in our own organization, the people with the talent, and the intellect, and the drive and the ambition to do this job and we think to do it very, very well."
Hoyer actually began with the Red Sox as an intern the day the new ownership group took control of the club in 2002. Soon thereafter, Epstein (at the time, the team's assistant general manager) took him under his wing, and the two developed a close, working relationship the last few years. He is best known for accompanying Epstein to the home of Curt Schilling back in Thanksgiving, 2003, when they lured the big right-hander to Boston.
An obvious self starter, Hoyer looks forward to his increased responsibilities going forward.
"I can just say that I have a ton of loyalty to the Red Sox and I'm going to continue to have that," Hoyer said. "I always have the Red Sox' best interest in mind."
Meanwhile, Cherington will see to it that the farm system continues its impressive rise, and he looks forward to tackling some broader issues.
"In a traditional setup with one GM, it's always a little overplayed that that person makes all the decisions in a vacuum," Cherington said. "There's always more than one person involved in a decision. Ownership is involved, people in baseball operations are involved. Just because now the position is split for the time being, Jed and I have a relationship where we can rely on each other. We'll serve as a system of checks and balances on one another to a degree, but we'll still use all of those people we mentioned, ownership and baseball operations, to make those decisions."
Hoyer and Cherington, along with Bill Lajoie and Craig Shipley, had been part of a committee that had been running the front office since Epstein's departure.
The Red Sox hope that Lajoie, the architect of the brilliant 1984 Tigers' World Series championship team and Shipley, a rising baseball executive, will stay on board.
The 71-year-old Lajoie served as the point man last week, when the Red Sox dealt catcher Doug Mirabelli to San Diego for second baseman Mark Loretta and then shipped Edgar Renteria to the Braves for top prospect Andy Marte.
Shipley was said to be a driving force in the Thanksgiving blockbuster that brought Josh Beckett to Boston.
"Both Bill Lajoie and Craig Shipley have done a phenomenal job for us over the years, and in particular, in this last five weeks where they have jumped in with both feet and have provided real guidance and leadership," Lucchino said. "They have great relationships with [Cherington and Hoyer], and I'm hopeful that they'll continue on in the organization working in this new setup. They have major, major things to contribute and have contributed those things in the last several weeks."
One issue that seemed to be of great interest at the press conference was the hypothetical of what happens when Cherington and Hoyer disagree on an issue. How would the matter be settled?
Perhaps the answer is healthy and spirited debate.
"We kind of like the notion of disagreement, of people speaking candidly and firmly about their position and doing some battling," Lucchino said. "That's a good thing in our view in the process. At the end of the day, there needs to be some resolution, and, ideally, the baseball operations department will be able to do that themselves. These guys each have a primary area of responsibility. If they can't, that's what John and Tom and I are for also, for the resolution of difficult decisions."
One difficult decision was at last made, as the Red Sox appointed a pair of men to run their baseball operations department.

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

Francona shines with Boston Pops

12/14/2005
BOSTON -- After being introduced by Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart as "one of those people who don't need an introduction," manager Terry Francona stepped to the microphone at Wednesday night's "A Company Christmas at Pops" concert and delivered a flawless rendition of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."
"It was fun. I enjoyed it," Francona said after delivering his narration wearing a red Red Sox jersey with his No. 47 and name on the back (over his sport jacket) and a Red Sox cap.
After finishing (with a "Merry Christmas" ad-libbed at the end), Francona, walking rather well just three weeks after a right knee replacement, flipped his cap to a young boy seated near the stage. Then, as he walked up the aisle, he removed the jersey and gave it to a stunned teenage girl as the crowd showed its approval.
Asked if he was nervous, Francona said, "Yeah, I was -- but it was a great experience, something I'll probably never get a chance to do again. I enjoyed the heck out of it, and it was a great night."
He seemed taken aback when he was congratulated for not making any mistakes.
"Well, I hope [I would be flawless]. I can read," he said. "I mean, I was a baseball player, but I went to school, so, yeah, I thought I would make it."
He said the knee is coming along fine, but quickly added, "Time to go home. I'm sore."
In an ironic twist to the festive evening, seated near the stage for Francona's performance was former Red Sox CEO John Harrington, whose regime was out of power before Francona arrived in Boston.
Francona spent his non-performance time at a table in the middle of the room. His wife, Jacque, beamed as he delivered his part in the show.
Francona's reading was one of the highlights of a wonderful show that also included the singing of Jose ("Feliz Navidad") Feliciano. As he met the crowd, Feliciano said that performing with the Pops was "kinda like playing for the Boston Red Sox."
Singing quartet New York Voices ended the show with the orchestra and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. One of the members of the group said that it wasn't very wise to schedule anything with "New York" in the name right after the manager of the Red Sox, but he quickly pointed out that three of the four people in the group have New England connections and that he himself is a big Red Sox fan.
The concert, which also included a visit by Santa Claus, raised more than $1 million for the Pops.

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

Sox ponder Damon contingencies

12/13/2005
BOSTON -- Even though Red Sox management has continually expressed optimism concerning the return of free agent center fielder Johnny Damon, the club is looking into contingency plans if it finds itself without its leadoff hitter.
According to the Boston Globe, the Sox have had discussions with the Seattle Mariners concerning center fielder Jeremy Reed, in a deal that would send right-hander Matt Clement to the Mariners.
Reed, 24 and talented, hit .254 with three homers and 45 RBIs for Seattle last year. Meanwhile, Clement, in the first year of a three-year deal worth $25.5 million (signed as a free agent last winter), was 0-3 after winning Sept. 3 and was then blasted by the White Sox in the American League Division Series.
Reed's name popped up in recent reports out of New York that had the Yankees, looking to replace Bernie Williams in center field, perhaps involved in a trade that could send rehabbing righty Carl Pavano to Seattle.
Monday, when the Red Sox unveiled new co-general managers Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington, club president/CEO Larry Lucchino said, "We want to sign Johnny Damon. We have every intention of doing so." He added the club would not go public with any of the negotiations.
After an original three-year, $29 million offer to Damon, the Red Sox reportedly came up into the four-year, $40 million range. Damon's agent, Scott Boras, who said at last week's Winter Meetings that he had multiple offers for Damon, first asked for seven years at $84 million. But now, Boras may well be seeking the $13 million per season that Rafael Furcal, also a leadoff man, received from the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent.
Speaking at Saturday's "Christmas at Fenway," Sox manager Terry Francona said he thought Damon, "Will be back." On Monday, Cherington said "the chances are good" the center fielder will return for a fifth season in Boston.
On Wednesday night, Francona will narrate "Twas the Night Before Christmas" in front of the Boston Pops. On Christmas morning, the manager would love to wake up and find his old center fielder under his tree.
If that doesn't happen, the Sox, who have had to be quick on their feet this offseason, will have to go to Plan B.

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

Lucchino pleased with offseason moves

12/15/2005
BOSTON -- Red Sox president and chief executive officer Larry Lucchino told a radio audience on Thursday that he was happy with the club's front-office work since the departure of general manager Theo Epstein, and added that if Epstein returns to the club in some capacity, it won't be a distraction.
Lucchino, who appears weekly on WEEI, the club's Boston-based flagship station, during Spring Training and the regular season, made his first on-air comments on WEEI since Epstein declined a contract extension on Halloween night.
The trades for Josh Beckett, Guillermo Mota and Mark Loretta told Lucchino that the front office was running smoothly.
"We were hardly a rudderless ship down there," Lucchino said of the club's 26-person contingent at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. "We were one of the most active teams in baseball during this transition period."
And on the heels of the promotion of Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington to co-general managers, Lucchino acknowledged that Epstein, who has advised the team on personnel moves, could be returning to formal role in the organization.
"My general feeling is that he will find that there is a role in this organization [in] which he will feel comfortable and work productively and happily and make a real contribution," Lucchino said.
Lucchino said that the club wouldn't be distracted if Epstein returns.
"Perhaps [it would be a distraction] for the media, but not for the rest of us," Lucchino said. "Bill Lajoie and Craig Shipley did an exceptional job during this transition, and are real baseball veterans."
Lucchino also explained his relative silence since Epstein's departure.
"It isn't fair to ask me questions about Theo's state of mind," he said. "One reason why I was more silent in that time period after he made his decision to decline the offer was that so many of the questions being put to me were about his mindset or his motivation or his point of view.
"It didn't seem appropriate to me to be speculating on that, particularly when Theo made clear in his press conference that there were a variety of factors and variety of reasons that were quite personal, and he didn't want to get into them."
Lucchino also took strong objection to reports that Epstein would remain on the "perimeter" of the Red Sox organization until Lucchino leaves for the Washington Nationals or another destination.
"That's absurd," he said. "That's just completely wrong. I and my family have dropped our roots and we're trying to plant our roots even more deeply in Boston. We love it here. It's a great city to live in and a great region to live in. It's the best place I have lived. As much as I have liked the other places, there's just something exceptional that fits me and our personality here. And this rumor, just like those written in certain tabloids, are just hogwash."
Lucchino tried to debunk any theories suggesting that he and Epstein could not work together.
"I think that's wrong," Lucchino said. "First of all, I have worked with Theo with three different teams in three different cities over 14 years and we have the ability to work together productively, and I think we've demonstrated that over the last four years.
"The issue of changes in our front office and the diminution of my role in the front office, I think that's already been addressed. We have a good front office -- an excellent front office. That is a point of pride, and we will do whatever it takes to make it stronger and better, and Theo Epstein can contribute to that, to be sure."
Lucchino was asked whether Epstein has already been promised the title of president/vice president of baseball operations, should he return.
"I'm not going to get into who or what was said along the way, but I don't think that's an accurate statement," Lucchino said.
The Red Sox executive also vehemently denied that his friendship with Epstein had taken a hit with the front office upheaval of the last two months.
"That's ridiculous," he said. "I've known him for 14 years and I've talked to him a couple of times since his final departure decision that he made. I'm not going to get into that. I don't feel the need to respond to that type of provocative inquiry."
Other topics included the potential trade of Manny Ramirez, the possibility of bringing Miguel Tejada back in a deal for Ramirez and the front-office discussion on the acquisition of Beckett.
On Ramirez: "We still have three or four months before baseball season begins," Lucchino said. "A lot of work has gone on in the last two months, but there's still January, February and March until we get to the opening of the season. Our commitment to Manny is to make a good-faith and extensive effort to see if there is a trade that is a win-win proposition that gets him to a part of the country or a team that he would like to be with going forward and gets us something approximating fair value, and we have been faithful to that obligation we have made to him and we are still engaged in that undertaking."
On Tejada: "There have been some discussions -- that much, I will say. We haven't doused any lights with respect to the possible trade of Manny to other teams, and we certainly haven't eliminated Baltimore, either. We're talking to a bunch of teams trying to find the right fit that Manny's comfortable with and gives the Red Sox fair value."
On Beckett and the club's discussion of the health of his right shoulder: "There's always healthy debate on major transactions, as there should be. There were medical factors that had to be considered, but we felt that it was a good deal, a reasonable medical risk and we were prepared to go forward, and we did. We succeeded in beating out three or four teams that were banging on Florida's door to be part of this early fire sale."

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

Ortiz named TYIB Hitter of the Year

12/15/2005

BOSTON -- Backed by the strength of his latest magical season, David Ortiz continues to pile up accolades and awards. The latest came Thursday, when the Boston masher was selected in an online vote as the top hitter of the year in MLB.com's "This Year in Baseball Awards."
It is the second year in a row Ortiz has nabbed the TYIB as baseball's best hitter.
After finishing second in a tight AL MVP race to Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez, Ortiz (64,481 votes) had the support of the fans in the TYIB contest, beating out NL MVP Albert Pujols (57,187).
"I cannot imagine a player having a bigger impact on a team than David Ortiz had on ours in 2005," Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino said.
Ortiz has become as feared a hitter as there is in baseball. For the third straight season, Ortiz put up career numbers -- 119 runs, 180 hits, 47 homers, 148 RBIs, 363 total bases, 102 walks and a 1.001 OPS -- across the board.
Even as a designated hitter, his value to his team -- and his negative impact on the opposition -- is blatantly obvious.
"Anybody can go out there and make a play, but not everybody can come and hit a homer to tie a game or win a game or get a big hit in a big situation," said Ortiz during the 2005 season. "That's the toughest part of this game."
MLB.com started the "This Year in Baseball Awards" back in 2002 to give fans the opportunity to express their opinions on the top players, managers and moments from each season. The voting for this year's award began on Oct. 31 and concluded Dec. 9 at midnight ET, and the results were announced live on MLB.com at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday. Awards are presented to winners during pregame, on-field ceremonies early the following season.
As has been the case the entire three years Ortiz has been in Boston, so many of his hits in 2005 wound up being game-breakers.
Ortiz certainly didn't hurt his cause in the voting with the way he finished. Ortiz was at his best in September, hitting .320 with 11 homers and 29 RBIs.

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His 47 homers marked the second-highest total in the prestigious history of the Red Sox, trailing only Jimmie Foxx, who smashed 50 in 1938.
Ortiz's power display was especially impressive when you consider that 19 of those 47 homers either tied the game or put the Red Sox ahead.

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

Marte searching for stroke in winter ball

12/16/2005
Andy Marte continues to work on finding his offensive rhythm with Azucareros in the Dominican Winter League.
Through Thursday, the highly-touted third-base prospect acquired from Atlanta in the Edgar Renteria trade was batting .234 in 33 games with two homers and nine RBIs. The right-handed batter is trying to cut down on his strikeouts, having fanned 18 times in 111 at-bats. The Red Sox believe Marte likely will begin the season with Triple-A Pawtucket but could make his Boston debut later in 2006.
Utility infielder Alejandro Machado, who made his debut in Boston in September, is getting plenty of work at shortstop for Caracas in the Venezuelan League. In 32 games, the switch-hitter is batting .256 with one homer and 16 RBIs. He also is struggling with strikeouts, with 20 in 129 at-bats.
Infielder Raul Nieves is hitting .246 in 20 games for the Ponce Lions of the Puerto Rican Winter League. The switch-hitter, who turns 27 on New Year's Day, was drafted as a shortstop but has played 14 of his 22 games so far this winter at third base, making only two errors.
On the pitching front, lefty reliever Mike Bumatay has been dominant in 27 appearances for Aragua in the Venezuelan League. He has allowed just one earned run in 11 1/3 innings (0.79 ERA), facing 44 batters and allowing just four hits. He has fanned 12 while walking six.
Another reliever enjoying success in Venezuela is right-hander Edgar Martinez. In 11 1/3 innings for Occidente Pastora, Martinez has allowed just three runs -- two earned -- compiling a 1.59 ERA. He has lost his only decision.
Right-hander Luis Mendoza has appeared in 17 games as a reliever for Navajoa in the Mexican League, earning a win in his only decision. Mendoza has an 8.35 ERA and batters are hitting .304 against him.

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

Ballgate heading to arbitration

12/16/2005
NEW YORK -- Ballgate is going to arbitration.
The Major League Baseball Players Association issued a statement Friday which said the MLBPA, Doug Mientkiewicz, the Boston Red Sox and the Commissioner's Office have agreed to submit to arbitration the Red Sox's claims regarding ownership of the baseball used to record the final out of the 2004 World Series.
The Red Sox have agreed to dismiss a lawsuit filed against Mientkiewicz in a Massachusetts state court. Instead, the club and the Commissioner's Office will file a Notice of Grievance asking Major League Baseball's Arbitration Panel to determine ownership of the ball.
Mientkiewicz has agreed to waive a previously agreed-upon entitlement to return of the ball by Jan. 1, 2006, so that the Red Sox can continue to exhibit the ball while the grievance is processed under the Basic Agreement.
"The Players Association strongly believed that this dispute belonged in the grievance procedure. It appreciates Doug's help in protecting the integrity and reach of the Basic Agreement to the benefit of all players," said Michael Weiner, the association's general counsel.
The MLBPA statement added that "consistent with the Basic Agreement, the parties will meet regarding the matter, probably in January, to begin processing the grievance, which will include discussions about possible resolution of the matter. No date for hearing before the Arbitration Panel has been set."
Last Jan. 27, the Red Sox and Mientkiewicz, who played the 2005 season for the Mets, came to a tentative agreement. Mientkiewicz allowed the Red Sox to maintain possession of the ball for a year, and the club had it on display during its World Series trophy tour.
At that time, Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino said that the sides "agreed to defer the issue of ultimate ownership of the ball for the time being."

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