LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, at the end of a hectic day that started in Boston with the press conference to introduce newly acquired first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, discussed the state of his team’s offseason now that he has landed the superstar. He suggested that the Sox had done more to sort through their blueprint for the rest of the offseason than make actual headway in specific deals.

“The most important stuff we did was kind of prioritizing, figuring out what might be real vs. what was unrealistic and setting unrealistic stuff aside so we could maybe narrow our focus a little bit, both in trades and free agency,” said Epstein. “We didn’t get significantly close to anything but at least we have a smaller set of issues to go forward on, maybe do our best to get something done while were here if we can.”

The Sox continue to remain in the market for relievers, a right-handed bat and perhaps another outfielder.

But while the Sox have been viewed as heavily involved in the sweepstakes for free agents Jayson Werth (before he signed with the Nationals) and Carl Crawford, Epstein cautioned that the team may end up pursuing more of a complementary player to join the team’s current outfield composition of J.D. Drew, Mike Cameron, Jacoby Ellsbury and Ryan Kalish (the latter of whom, Epstein suggested, he would prefer to have in Triple-A in the start of the season in a perfect world).

Foremost, Epstein — while not speaking directly about the Werth contract — made clear that the Sox will only pay a player what they consider fair value for him, and not more.

“Do you have the guts to walk away and get criticized for it, knowing it’s the right thing?” mused Epstein. “Some organizations do, some don’t.” Read the rest of this entry »

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Padres owner Jeff Moorad has seen a superstar in his prime go to Boston before. In 2000, he was the agent for Manny Ramirez, orchestrating the landmark eight-year, $160 million deal that positioned a middle-of-the-order hitter in the center of the Red Sox lineup for years of his prime.

Moorad is now in a different position. As the man at the top of the food chain in San Diego, he oversees a club that has a payroll in the vicinity of $40 million that has to make the hard decisions to sacrifice such players in order to acquire the prospects who can keep his club competitive for the long term.

But the fact that he has to make such moves does nothing to diminish Moorad’s appreciation for the player. Indeed, he suggested that Gonzalez could make the same kind of impact in Boston that Ramirez did. Moorad has no doubt that the Sox will do what is necessary to lock up Gonzalez for the long haul.

“Yes, in some ways [he is reminiscent as an impact player of Ramirez in his prime]. Certainly the bat will be powerful,” said Moorad. “He also brings a defensive dimension to the game that’s as good as it gets. It’s a great thing to know you have Adrian Gonzalez at first base late in games in August and September.

“He’s one of the top 10 players in the game. I’m certain the Red Sox will work something out to reflect that. He is a class act. He’ll be a proud member of the Red Sox for a lot of years.”

As for the rest of the market, the agent-turned-owner declined to discuss his sentiments about the market-shaking seven-year, $126 million deal that Jayson Werth signed with the Nationals.

“I have a lot of respect for the Lerner family,” Moorad said of the Nationals owners. “It wouldn’t be appropriate to question their motives publicly.”

The Sox were interested in Jayson Werth, but not at anything close to the contract he received from the Nationals. (AP)

According to a source familiar with the situation, the Red Sox never made a formal contract offer to outfielder Jayson Werth before he signed his stunning seven-year, $126 million deal with the Nationals. The Sox, according to the source, “got nowhere near” such figures in their conversations with the outfielder (which included a face-to-face meeting between the player, agent Scott Boras and Red Sox officials last week).

The Sox did have legitimate interest in Werth (hence the meeting), and one team source felt that even if one viewed outfielder Carl Crawford as a better all-around player and a more likely impact player because of his age (he turned 29 in August; Werth turned 31 last May), Werth would still represent the better value in the marketplace based on the idea that Crawford might get a seven- or eight-year deal in the $18-20 million range. The source expected that Werth would get at least five years.

But no one — presumably, except for the Nationals and Boras — foresaw the possibility of a seven-year deal that will keep Werth under contract through his age 38 season. Industry reaction in the lobby of the Dolphin Resort was near disbelief, with the deal being deemed by one source “comical.”

The Sox are in position to spend this offseason, thanks in no small part to the acquisition of Adrian Gonzalez, who will account for just $6 million and change against the luxury tax threshold this year. Even so, the team would never have gone to the lengths of the Nationals’ deal for Werth and, with his contract now representing the bar for elite outfielders, it will be interesting to see whether Crawford ends up being an option, or if he will command a deal of more years and dollars that would deter the Sox from becoming involved in the bidding.

Werth’s signing did have a significant benefit for the Sox, however. The Sox were anxious to see whether Werth might sign with the Tigers. If he did so (and the Tigers are believed to be in the market for an outfield upgrade), the compensatory draft pick that the Sox received from Detroit for its signing of Victor Martinez would have been bumped from the first round to the second round, owing to the fact that Werth received a higher rating from the Elias Sports Bureau than Martinez.

If the Tigers had added Werth, the Sox’ compensation pick for Martinez would have dropped from the No. 19 overall selection in the 2011 draft to a second round selection, likely more than 40 picks later. But, with Werth not in Motown, unless the Tigers sign closer Rafael Soriano or starter Cliff Lee (neither of whom has been connected to Detroit), the Sox now appear to be in excellent shape to receive their highest draft pick since 2003, in what is expected to be a phenomenal draft.

The Tigers could stick a lump of coal in the Red Sox' stocking by signing Jayson Werth. (AP)

For the Red Sox, there was a silver lining to the fact that the Detroit Tigers signed Victor Martinez to a four-year, $50 million deal. Because the switch-hitting catcher was a Type A free agent who was offered arbitration, the Sox stand to receive a pair of draft picks for his departure, both the Tigers’ top pick and a sandwich pick.

The Tigers actually have the highest unprotected pick in the draft at No. 19 overall. The teams with the worst 15 records in the game cannot forfeit their first-round pick if they sign a Type A free agent; it is only the teams in the upper half who can lose their first rounder. The Tigers, who finished the year with an 81-81 record, were the worst team without a protected pick. Because three teams did not sign their first-rounders, Detroit was positioned to draft in the No. 19 spot in the draft. Now, that pick would appear likely to go to the Sox.

But that is not a certainty. The Tigers could truly play the part of offseason spoilers for the Sox if they elected to sign a free agent outfielder like Jayson Werth. (The Detroit Free Press reports that Detroit may pursue either Werth or Crawford, depending on how much owner Mike Ilitch wants to spend.) Werth (as well as shortstop Derek Jeter, closers Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera and starter Cliff Lee) is rated ahead of Martinez in the Elias Player Rankings used to determine what kind of compensation (Type A, Type B, or none) a player will net if signed as a free agent. If the Tigers signed one of those free agents, then their top pick would go to another club (the Phillies for Werth), while the Sox would get Detroit’s second-round pick, roughly 50 picks later in the draft.

So, if the Tigers were to sign Werth, they would not only be grabbing a player who might hold significant interest for the Sox — a player who arguably rates as the best right-handed hitter on the market, and an excellent defensive outfielder to boot — but also they would be tarnishing the one silver lining for the Sox of Martinez’ decision to head for greener backs (and pastures). Read the rest of this entry »

The status of Adrian Beltre has been a hot topic at the GM Meetings. (AP)

Wednesday marked the second full day of the GM meetings in Orlando. For a look back at Day 1, click here.

In 2008, there was not a single transaction that occurred at the GM meetings. In that context, two years seems like quite a long time ago.

This year’s GM meetings feel less as if they are transpiring in the shadow of Disney as much as they are in the middle of a bazaar. There’s been plenty of activity, both real and stage-setting.

While Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told reporters that he did not anticipate that the club would do anything of note before leaving Orlando, three notable transactions took place to further shape the market for offseason deals:

–The Tigers signed free agent Joaquin Benoit, an outstanding performer for the Rays in a huge bounceback 2010 season, to a somewhat staggering three-year, $16.5 million contract. Benoit had a 1.34 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 60 innings while pitching on an incentive-laden deal for the Rays in 2010. Implications for the Red Sox: The Sox are no fans of multi-year deals for relievers, and while they were prepared to bite the bullet on a deal spanning multiple seasons for relief arms, this deal — for a middle reliever — will no doubt embolden pitchers like Scott Downs and Brian Fuentes to shoot very high. With three years now a baseline for the relief market (for a pitcher who is one year removed from missing an entire season), the Sox’ task of adding bullpen arms became more challenging, especially with the top 2010 performer no longer available.

–The Blue Jays acquired outfielder Rajai Davis from the Athletics in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers. Implications for the Red Sox: Limited, especially since the Blue Jays were not expected to be major players for the outfielders (such as Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth) whom the Sox are more likely targeting.

–The Chibe Lotte Marines of the NPB will make shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka available to Major League Baseball clubs via the posting process. Implications for the Red Sox: Assuming that the 26-year-old, who led the Pacific League with a .346 average, is acquired and signed by a major league team other than the Red Sox, it could take away a potential suitor should the Sox decide to try to move either Marco Scutaro or Jed Lowrie. Alternately, the Sox could make a bid for Nishioka, in which case the club could more freely market Scutaro or Lowrie (much as the A’s did by acquiring pitcher Hishasi Hiwakuma and then dealing starter Vin Mazzaro to the Royals as part of the deal for outfielder David DeJesus).

While those were the deals that actually got done, there was yet another wave of rumors and statements to help illuminate where the Red Sox stand in the offseason. Here, broken down by area, were the major developments from Wednesday.

OWNERSHIP, PAYROLL AND OVERALL OFFSEASON STRATEGY

–Red Sox chairman Tom Werner appeared on The Big Show and shed light on the Sox’ commitment to return to the postseason next year. (For a transcript of his remarks, click here.) He observed that the Sox had the second highest payroll in the majors last year, and that they anticipated “a robust payroll, probably as high as last year if not higher.” He also suggested that the team will move aggressively to improve its roster, and made clear that he and Sox ownership have no intentions of treating 2011 as a “bridge year.” Read the rest of this entry »

Scott Boras said that interest in Adrian Beltre is unprecedented this offseason. (AP)

Agent Scott Boras, who represents several key free agents this offseason, appeared on MLB Network Radio’s Inside Pitch on Sirius XM Radio. Boras discussed the expected market for several of his clients, including two who are expected to be targets of the Red Sox this winter: third baseman Adrian Beltre, who punctuated his successful season in Boston on Thursday by being named the winner of the Silver Slugger Award as the top third baseman in the American League, and Jayson Werth, the Phillies outfielder whom Boras is pitching as the only player in this year’s free agent class who is a middle-of-the-order hitter capable of playing any outfield position. (He noted that Carl Crawford hit roughly half the homers of Werth over the last three years, making him more of a top-of-the-order hitter.)

Boras compared Werth to former Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans, while positioning Beltre as a player who bears comparisons to Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt, Paul Molitor and George Brett. He described an unprecedented level of interest in Beltre’s services.

“I would have to say in my years of doing this, I’ve never had so much interest in one player,” said Boras. “I’m not sure the media quite understands what Boston did for Adrian Beltre. But I think his leadership has come to surface. We’ve had a number of teams contact us, vastly more than we ever expected. We expected a good number certainly, but there are teams wanting to move players to make room for him.”

Boras also discussed former Sox Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.

Highlights of the Inside Pitch interview are below:

Do the Phillies have any chance at Werth? Shane Victorino said he hasn’t received an offer from the Phillies.

[Phillies GM] Ruben [Amaro] and I have had conversations. We’ll continue to have them. The best thing I can say is the dialogue continues. That’s not something I can really define at this point.

What is Werth looking at in terms of geography, chance to win, lineup, etc.?

He’s enjoyed a tremendous platform in Philadelphia because he has what I think every free agent would want. You’ve got winning, you’ve got a great fan base, a nice stadium, an area that they’re geographically happy with. All of those elements, Jayson’s lived on the West Coast, he’s lived on the East Coast, so he’s open to consideration for a lot of franchises, which really, I think, look at his role on the team. I think, hitting in the fifth spot in Philadelphia is very difficult. To have the people behind you, certainly [Ryan] Howard and [Chase] Utley enjoyed having Jayson behind them.

It’s hard to score a lot of runs. When you’re scoring 100 runs from the fifth spot, you’ve done something pretty unique. For a guy with great speed and stolen base efficiency – over the last five or six years, it’s one of the best in baseball – you’re talking about a situation for him where he’s performed very, very well offensively and frankly had very good production numbers even though he’s hitting in the fifth hole.

What are the chances of Beltre returning to Boston?

Again, I think it’s, we’ve, I would have to say in my years of doing this, I’ve never had so much interest in one player. I’m not sure the media quite understands what Boston did for Adrian Beltre. But I think his leadership has come to surface. We’ve had a number of teams contact us, vastly more than we ever expected. We expected a good number certainly, but there are teams wanting to move players to make room for him. With both these players, the metrics are so good for the longevity of their performance with the positions that they play.

In Jayson Werth’s case, you can look at Dwight Evans and see what he’s done at an age from 29-31, and you see it’s actually a little bit under what Werth’s done. He played at a very high level, averaging about 27 home runs and 100 RBIs from the age of 32-37. You can look at [Mike] Schmidt’s career or George Brett’s career or [Paul] Molitor’s career in the case of Beltre. He’s performed at levels that are commensurate with them from 25-31. You would expect that those players’ performances at the position from 32-38 was also at very solid levels you would expect from players of that ilk. I think the metrics are there to illustrate that these are really good players, and that they’re going to be really good players for a long time.

Have you talked with the Red Sox about having both at Fenway? Read the rest of this entry »

The Red Sox explored the market for outfielder David DeJesus before he was traded to the Athletics on Wednesday. (AP)

Not all offseason roads for the Red Sox lead to Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth.

For the second time in four months, according to a major league source, the Red Sox made a run at acquiring outfielder David DeJesus from the Royals. In July, prior to the trade deadline, the Sox had made an aggressive bid for the 30-year-old, who was amidst a career-best season in Kansas City, hitting .318/.384/.443/.827. In the summer — with a chance to benefit from the outfielder’s services in both 2010 (for the remainder of his $4.7 million salary) and 2011 (for a $6 million option) — the Sox were willing to discuss multiple top 10 prospects with the Royals.

However, Boston drew the line on including left-hander Felix Doubront (this was at the time when the Sox committed to the idea of using Doubront as a reliever for the duration of the year in hopes of bolstering a flagging bullpen). And so, the Sox might have fallen short in their pursuit of DeJesus over the summer. That pursuit was rendered irrelevant, however, when the outfielder tore a ligament in his right thumb on July 22, just prior to the trade deadline.

This offseason, the Sox once again made a run at DeJesus, but apparently, the summer dynamic played out once again, suggesting that the Sox and Royals did not see eye-to-eye on which prospects might be included in a deal. That, in turn, set the stage for the Royals to deal DeJesus to the Athletics in exchange for right-handed starter Vin Mazzaro (expected to start the year in the Kansas City rotation) and left-hander Justin Marks (who will open the year in High-A Wilmington).

Though the Sox did not acquire DeJesus, their pursuit of him is revealing on a few of levels: Read the rest of this entry »