Red Sox To Meet With Beckett

According to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, Josh Beckett plans to meet with the Red Sox in the coming weeks to discuss a contract extension.

Beckett's 2010 option for $12.1MM vested when he made 28 starts for Boston in 2009. However, without a new contract, Beckett would be a free agent following the 2010 season.

Alex Speier of WEEI.com had Theo Epstein's take on Beckett. epstein also stressed the importance of bringing back free agent Jason Bay.

“It’s been really fun for us to watch him mature on and off the field during his time in Boston,” Epstein said of Beckett. “He’s put himself in a position to be valued very highly by us. He’s someone we’d obviously like have to be a part of our future. Those things have a way of taking care of themselves. … We’ll see what happens.”

Epstein said he will wait for the last possible day before making a move on Tim Wakefield's option, but that medical reports on the pitcher were positive.