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Josh Beckett ‘absolutely’ wants to stay with Red Sox unless he’s ‘not wanted’ 07.27.12 at 5:52 pm ET
By Rob Bradford

Josh Beckett discussed how he views the possibility of being traded (AP)

NEW YORK — Pitcher Josh Beckett told WEEI.com that he “absolutely” wants to remain with the Red Sox and that the only thing that GM Ben Cherington “assured me during spring training that he wants me here,” but he also suggested that he would not rule out accepting a trade.

As a player with 10/5 rights (10 years in the big leagues, five with one team), Beckett (5-9 with a 4.57 ERA this year) has the right to veto a trade. He said that he’s never given consideration to where he might accept a trade because it’s never been a situation that has confronted him.

“I don’t have to [think about it],” Beckett said of where he might accept a trade. “I’ve never even been around this time of year when my name has even been a topic, so I don’t know.

But, if the Sox told the pitcher that they wanted to trade him, he would not dismiss the idea, even though he indicated his preference to stay where he is.

“Absolutely,” Beckett, 32, said of his desire to stay in Boston. “But if people don’t want you, you don’t want to be there. Obviously I have some things where it would be very difficult for them to trade me if I didn’t want to be traded. But you have to think realistically. If you’re not wanted somewhere, why stay there? Know what I mean? It kind of makes it a little more difficult. But [Cherington] assured me during spring training that he wants me here, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s just made-up fodder.”

Asked whether he still got the sense that the organization wants him to remain with the Sox, Beckett — who is signed through 2014 under a four-year, $68 million deal — said that he had no reason to believe otherwise.

“[Cherington] hasn’t said anything different with me,” said Beckett. “I was assured [during spring training] that they wanted me here. He hasn’t come to me and said that he doesn’t. Neither has John Henry or Larry Lucchino. So as I said, as far as I’m concerned, I think it’s probably just made up by somebody.”

Beckett said that he would expect that the Sox likely would talk to him about acceptable destinations for a trade before they pursued a deal so that they could avoid a scenario such as the one that the Cubs currently are experiencing with Ryan Dempster, in which the team worked out a deal with the Braves only to have Dempster say that he was not open to a trade to Atlanta.

Beckett’s preference, he said, is to remain in Boston at least through the life of his deal, though he also said that he would listen if the Sox told him that they wanted to deal him.

“Obviously I would use my 10/5 right to make sure it’s the right situation,” said Beckett. “But like I said, if somebody says they’re going to trade you, that usually means they don’t want you. I think that’s where you’d have to think about your situation and their situation. Nobody wants to be somewhere where they’re not wanted. That’s just an uncomfortable deal. Then you’re walking by people, they’re ducking their heads. It’s just uncomfortable. That wouldn’t be a good situation for me.”

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  • Doug

    I’m such a disillusioned fan, I really don’t care what happens to Josh, I think the best thing at this point is to get him out of here, that remains to be seen, this team seems to be mired in mediocrity and one of the big reason is Beckett, immediately get Morales back into the starting rotation, we cannnot continue to lose games in this fashion.  Get real and get wise Bobby, some times you have to shuffle the deck.

  • Enough

    I think everyone gives Booby too much blame and not enough credit. When has a manager ever been the one to decided that a $16 million pitcher is going to sit or be traded? I think bobby is doing the best he can with the hand he’s been dealt. 

  • WHO CARES

    keep him here for the duration of his contract, sign Lester to a 7 year extension Red Sox can sign him cheap now.Lackey will be back next year, Crawford is here for 5 more years he will have surgery on his wrist, arm, and leg( how did this guy pass a physical).on a payroll of 178m we have mike aviles at short stop. Everyone bitching about big Papi’s contract (the only one that is hitting). go Red Sox
    are they going to make the playoffs?

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/ZVFM2HRNC5CTO2OUXD4XTX65O4 Dennis

     Sounds like he may have given the Sox the okay to trade him—-maybe. 

  • Throw Lackey in too

    We can only hope that Beckett is leaving.  If he needs help packing, I am all in.

  • Valentine is an Idiot

    You are absolutely correct about Bobby V.  Just tonight he said he believes that “we are heading in the right direction!”  That Bobby V., he is doing just great.  Signed:  A.L. East

  • Derek

    I agree. I may be wrong but I think a lof of sox fans still want Tito here, so Valentine can never do anything right in their eyes. If the Sox suddenly went on a 20 game winstreak(far fetched I know), Valentine wouldn’t get any credit.

  • Jimtyrrell

    Josh has to improve. Maybe a change of scenery will do him some good. Something is wrong with this team and it runs deep. Epstein left a mess and now we have to clean it up. We spend too much money in the wrong places. Once we get rid of the dead wood that is costing us a fortune we can make a plan and follow the plan without Larry Luccino mucking up the works.

  • Anonymous

    Alot of fans do not want you, you gambled on your stature for getting rid of bobby v and it did not work, you came out of all that looking like a jerk, as did Keven Useless.  I suspect there are others following you and they will fail too, your teammates supporting that agenda are looking bad for it.  If Bobby V goes it will be because the team can get Farrell, not because of your egotistical, arrogant self.

  • Asomguasu

    As Bob Marley once said, “if the cap fits…let them wear it.” See ya Josh, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

  • Fenian

    Okay…news flash…you are not wanted!

    Guy really needs a change of scenery…been here a long time…speaking of people who have been here a long time…if Papi “whines” about making 14M and being over paid as a DH…ship him out too…if you don’t like the contract don’t sign it…so SICK of hearing him whine…he is playing VERY well this year…but they are paying him 14M just to frickin DH!

    Time to clean house…

  • Arendell

      Josh is not what is wrong! He is one of 2 starters that is pulling his weight. He is tied for #1 in Quality starts, as a pitcher. We need more pitchers who will do this good or better. Thank you Josh for trying harder.
       Why is Nick Punto Still here? Pedro C. Has passed him in the depth charts and sees the playing time, not him?? Are there not teams out there that want him?? Need him? He can still play. BUT needs more playing time that he will not get here from Booby V..
      Please get a player up from AAA or AA. that the manager can use or will use.

  • Tramanus

    Wow! I have never seen the Red Sox ‘s in such disarray as I have this season. Management overreacted and fired a great manager and alienated a almost every player on the current roster all because the didn’t make the playoffs last year. They didn’t make the playoffs last year because of injuries plain and simple. Hard to win in AL east when injured.

  • Tramanus

    Valentine my not be the answer. He has lost the respect of his players. He makes stupid comments and brings unnecessary attention to himself and the team about insignificant observations about other teams as well as his own. Trading Becket would be disasterous. He’s only won 3 WS rings. Stop trying to fix things that arn’t broke. He’ll rebound!! Look what Youk is doing. Heat and soul can not be replaced!!

  • Anthony

    Every day thats all we hear, on and on we go, crap or get off the pot, I want to just enjoy watching baseball, I hate all this drama every single day here in boston.

  • Buddy

    Josh Beckett…if you really want to stay then start acting like it.  I don’t even necessarily mean you’re below par performances.  I am talking about losing the attitude.  Don’t hold everyone at arms length, especially the fans because from what I hear, the fans have grown tired of your act and want you to go.

    Baseball is a game that is also a business and we are your shareholders.  We really are not your enemy.  We want you to succeed, so ignore the ignorant hateful people and be the best pitcher you can be and you will get the fans back.  

  • Ted

    If I could continue to pitch like cr*p and still have $68 million left on my payroll, I’d love to stay in Boston.

  • Robert

    The Beckert extension Theo handed to Josh,long before reaching FA, is beggining to make it’s way up the charts for terribble Epstein mistakes. At least he helped win the 07 Series, but it gaining on Lackey and Crawford,now.

  • Theo’s Diaper

    YUP…please tell me just one thing he (THEO) did that does not look like a total and complete sabotage job now—-and I’m talking about his last three years of total and complete failure. Does anyone think that Theo would not be fired at the end of this season had he still been here with the Sox.

  • Theo’s Diaper

    What’s the latest word on the guy with 48 career wins with the SOX…DUDK…is he still nursing a sore neck…how long has it been sore now….three weeks.

  • Allan from Millis

    Josh Beckett is the face of the worst of what is professional baseball.

  • JackFontaine

    Hey – im my mind is that Beckett has done awful this season. he was awesome in 07 no one could do what he could have done bottom line. But I’m just sick of him he need to go, he done nothing his ERA 4.57 he want to step up and stop screwing around and get your butt in gear. or u are out of here. 

  • Bielawski82

    So many haters… why don’t you step up and pitch in the bigs?  Last I checked a 4.5 ERA isn’t that bad, he could just as well be 9-5 and no one would be complaining.  Now I know we’re paying him to be an ace and keep his ERA below four but give him a break, he’s allowed to be human for one season.

  • natedizel

     Ya his break was at the end of last season in the club house with chicken/beer. When it gonna be time for work

  • Patsox

    The Sox let good players go (Reddick) and keep the overpaid stiffs. They need to rebuild the pitching staff and find three more young starters to go with Clay and Doubront.

  • Anonymous

    Of course he wants to stay.  If I could get away with drinking beer and eating chicken at my job and not get reprimanded for it, I wouldn’t want to leave either.  He may have gotten into trouble with management, but it wasn’t publicized so I assume he wasn’t because I heard nothing in the press.  This guy appears to be a miserable prick and a cancer in the clubhouse and needs to go.  On top of it I can’t stand his ugly mug and that stupid looking flavor savor on his chin.

  • Oliver W

    makes so much sense

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