Joe Saunders (AP)

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, in an appearance on “Inside Pitch” on the SiriusXM MLB Network Radio, discussed his efforts to build depth in his pitching staff while dealing with what he characterized as less payroll flexibility than the team had in other recent seasons. As the Sox explore both free agent and trade options, Cherington acknowledged that the Sox have been in contact with a pair of free agents, starter Joe Saunders and closer Ryan Madson.

“We’ve had conversations with the agents for both guys as well as several other free agent options. We’ll continue dialogue,” said Cherington. “We don’t have as much room in our payroll as we’ve had in previous years, but we’re trying to figure out ways to improve our pitching staff. Maybe we have to be a little more creative this winter in doing that than in some other winters, but we’re not ruling out anything. We’ll certainly continue dialogue with a handful of free agents and then obviously also the trade front.”

Cherington added that the team recognizes the need to build significant starting depth. It’s efforts this offseason are focused in that direction, rather than on top-of-the-rotation options.

“We’re still focused on adding to the pitching staff, looking at free agent options and looking at trade options in order to do that,” said Cherington. “We feel pretty good about where we are at the top of our rotation. We’re looking to build depth and quality depth. When you look back at 2011, that’s really where our problem ended up being. We just ran out of depth. We were running into situations late in the season where we were just hoping to get into the fifth inning with a starter, and that makes it hard to win. We placed so much of a burden on the bullpen. So that’s really been our focus of this offseason.” Read the rest of this entry »

DALLAS — At some point today, agent Scott Boras is expected to speak to a throng of reporters and to articulate the incredibly large, robust markets for his virtually incomparable stable of clients. However, it will be fascinating to hear how he makes the case for one of his clients who is being monitored by the Red Sox.

At one point in early-November, it appeared that closer Ryan Madson would be the first person to set the free agent market. Madson reportedly was on the cusp of a four-year deal with the Phillies near the start of the bidding season. However, those talks unraveled, Philadelphia signed Jonathan Papelbon, and since then, there have been no real reports of a burgeoning market for Madson.

Moreover, the number of teams still searching for a closer appears to be dwindling. The Phillies, Marlins, Padres, Blue Jays and Mets have all added closers. The Reds are still looking for a ninth-inning solution, though a relatively cost-effective one (hence explaining their unwillingness to exercise their option on Francisco Cordero).

The Red Sox might be in the market for a closer, and according to a team source, they continue to monitor Madson, though the Sox have the fallback of Daniel Bard. Ditto for the Angels, who might be in the market for a back-end bullpen option, but who also have Jordan Walden, who was an All-Star last year, albeit one who performed with inconsistency typical of a rookie.

Right now, there is no team that represents an obvious fit to give Madson a top-of-the-market, multi-year deal. The closer, who had a 2.37 ERA while recording 32 saves, striking out 62 and walking just 16 in 60 2/3 innings, right now may be on the outside looking in on the game of musical chairs.

Of course, the possibility remains that another club could swoop in with an unexpected offer, as happened last year when Boras client Rafael Soriano received a three-year, $35 million offer to set up for the Yankees. Even so, right now, the potential destinations for Madson are dwindling, leading to a dramatic loss in leverage, something noted by multiple agents who do not represent the pitcher.

As Sox GM Ben Cherington explained earlier in the winter meetings, the Red Sox are not looking to set the market with their deals. The expect return of David Ortiz will leave the Sox with little payroll flexibility.

However, as was the case a couple years ago when the Sox reached a one-year deal with Boras client Adrian Beltre, it remains intriguing to see whether Madson’s demands adjust to his market demand. Alternately, ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported (via twitter) that Madson could accept arbitration from the Phillies, although the fact that he made just $4.83 million in 2011 and that he has only one year as a full-time closer could limit the type of award he would receive through arbitration.

A couple other notes:

– The lobby of the winter meetings buzzed for a few minutes early on Wednesday afternoon with the announcement by agent Nez Balelo that his client, six-time Japanese All-Star Nori Aoki, would be posted by his Japanese team, the Yakult Swallows, on Dec. 12.

That posting date is intended to give teams a chance to have a full assessment of their outfield needs, since it coincides with the date for the non-tender deadline. In a relatively weak free-agent class of outfielders, the right-handed Aoki — who is considered capable of playing all three outfield positions — will be available at a potentially portentous time. Though he does not have much power, the 29-year-old is a speedy hitter in a top- or bottom-of-the-order mold who has a career .329 average, .402 OBP and .454 slugging mark in the NPB.

However, barring an unexpected development in the Red Sox’ roster, the team is not expected to pursue Aoki. While the team continues to pursue a right-handed outfield bat, perhaps as a complement to Josh Reddick (unless he is traded), Aoki is unlikely to come to Major League Baseball for a part-time role. Moreover, it remains the case that the Sox are operating as if they have limited financial flexibility, and so Aoki is unlikely to be a fit.

– Balelo also represents right-hander Takashi Saito, who will return to the majors next year at age 42.

“He keeps getting younger,” said Balelo. “He’s like a win win who keeps getting better.”

Saito was limited by injuries to 30 games with the Brewers last year. He had a 2.03 ERA, 23 strikeouts and nine walks in 26 2/3 innings. Saito enjoyed his season in Boston in 2009, during which he had a 2.43 ERA in 56 games.

However, while Balelo said that reports of six to eight teams being interested in Saito were accurate, and he is open to going to either the American League or National League, an industry source said that the Red Sox were not one of the suitors for the veteran.

DALLAS — It didn’t take long for former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon to make an impression on  Charlie Manuel. The Phillies manager quickly sensed how much the closer relishes his line of work, and the degree to which he suited the championship ambitions of Philadelphia.

“When I first met him and talked to him, I liked him, saw a lot of determination, a lot of want-to. He gets excited,” said Manuel, whose team signed the free agent to a four-year, $50 million deal last month. “He looks like, when you start talking to him about closing, he looks like he wants you to give him the ball, let him go out there right then. That’s kind of how I felt. I said, ‘Look at this guy — he wants to pitch right now.’ He’s fired up. He comes across, he came across as a guy that, he wants to pitch. He likes being where he’s at. I feel good about it.”

That said, Manuel also had nothing but praise for the closer that he had with the Phillies in 2011 and who is now the top remaining free agent closer on the market. Ryan Madson emerged as a legitimate closer last season, saving 32 games with a 2.37 ERA and more than a strikeout an inning in his 62 relief appearances.

Manuel enjoyed watching the 31-year-old flourish in a role of greater responsibility, and said that he will be rooting for Madson as he takes his talents to a new team. While he suggested that having a more experienced closer such as Papelbon “came into play” when the Phillies were deciding whether to re-sign Madson or pursue Papelbon, Manuel offered praise for his the reliever.

“I think it came into play, especially from our organization’s standpoint of things,” said Manuel. “I’m really happy for Madson and I’m proud of what he did this past season. He established himself for me as a closer. He held his stuff most all of the season. His command got better. The separation of his pitches, his fastball to his changeup, was better. He learned, when he got two strikes on a guy, he learned how to finish them off. He also learned that he didn’t have to throw the ball over the plate a lot to do that.

“I think just the part of him being experienced, he kind of proved to himself that he could close. I used to tell you guys that if he ever closed four, five games in a row out, he’d be on his own. It kind of took him a couple years to do it but he did it. After that, he settled in and took off. I’m happy for him.”

Jose Reyes

The Marlins initial offer to free agent shortstop Jose Reyes was a six-year, $90-million contract, according to FOXSports.com. Reyes is reportedly intrigued by playing in the warm weather in Miami, as well as playing for manager Ozzie Guillen.

Miami made the offer to Reyes last week, and also reportedly offered deals to three other free agents: first baseman Albert Pujols, pitcher Mark Buehrle and closer Ryan Madson.

But according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, Reyes is looking for a contract worth a minimum of $100 million and will not sign for anything less. Reyes batted .337 and stole 39 bases last season with the Mets. The shortstop has spent his entire nine-year career with New York.

If the Marlins are able to sign Reyes, Miami will have to decide how to deal with current shortstop Hanley Ramirez. The team may want to move him to a different position, like third base, but according to a tweet from the Miami Herald’s Clark Spencer, Ramirez is not happy with the prospect of changing positions.

Jonathan Papelbon

There are multiple reports that the Phillies are close to re-signing closer Ryan Madson to a four-year, $44 million extension, pending approval from team CEO David Montgomery. However, there also are reports that the Phillies talked to Red Sox free agent Jonathan Papelbon as recently as Monday and continue to view him as an option if the Madson deal falls through.

Tweeted Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia Wednesday morning: Source close to Madson said Tues night there was no deal and talks were ongoing. Still believe Papelbon in picture.

ESPN’s Jayson Stark tweeted that it’s “highly unlikely” the Phillies and Madson complete a deal Wednesday. Fox’ Ken Rosenthal took it a step further, insisting reports of a Madson deal “may have been premature,” and the team was “reconsidering its options.”

According to multiple reports (first from Jim Duquette of MLB Network, then from Jon Heyman of SI.com, both via twitter), the Phillies are close to re-signing their closer, Ryan Madson. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports (via twitter) that the deal would be for four years and $44 million, with a fifth-year vesting option for $13 million.

Madson, who turned 31 in August, just concluded his first year as the Phillies closer. In 62 appearances, he was 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA, 32 saves (in 34 chances), 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.4 walks per nine innings. In 33 career playoff appearances, he has a 2.31 ERA.

Madson’s deal would be the longest given to a closer since the Twins signed Joe Nathan to a four-year, $47 million deal in the spring of 2008. Nathan was dominant for the first two years of that deal, but missed all of the third year after undergoing Tommy John surgery and then was limited in his effectiveness in 2011, when he spent part of the year as a setup man.

Madson’s deal will have significant implications for Jonathan Papelbon as the career Red Sox closer tests free agent waters for the first time. On the one hand, it takes a potential big-market suitor out of the market. On the other hand, Madson has now set the bar for the market at its highest level in years, and Papelbon’s career clearly suggests that he will be well within reason to ask for more than his colleague received.

In his career, Madson is 47-30 with a 3.59 ERA, 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.7 walks per nine in 491 games. He has 52 career saves.

Papelbon, meanwhile, is 23-19 with a 2.33 ERA, 10.7 strikeouts and 2.4 walks per nine innings in 396 career games. In 27 postseason innings, he has a 1.00 ERA and seven saves.