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Red Sox Haven’t Talked Possible Trade With Cameron

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During this morning's press conference to introduce Carl Crawford to the Boston media, GM Theo Epstein told reporters that he hasn't addressed a trade with Mike Cameron, writes MLB.com's Evan Drellich.  The club's big winter splash knocks Cameron out of the starting outfield but doesn't neccessarily mean that he doesn't have a place on the bench.

"This role is something he can embrace and really make the most out of and have a tremendous impact on this club with all the left-handed hitting that we have," the GM said of the right-handed hitter.

Cameron would also provide a solid insurance policy to the Red Sox as Jacoby Ellsbury missed the majority of 2010 and J.D. Drew hasn't played more than 140 games since 2006.  However, the soon-to-be 38-year-old is owed $7.25MM in 2011, making him an expensive reserve option. 

On Thursday it was reported that the Red Sox have received inquiries on Cameron and are willing to listen, though they intend on keeping him.

Odds & Ends: Guerrier, McCutchen, Blue Jays, Punto

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As the baseball world says goodbye to Cubs great Ron Santo, here are some news tidbits heading into the weekend…

Red Sox Re-Sign Jason Varitek

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The Red Sox have re-signed catcher Jason Varitek to a one-year deal, according to a team press release.  No contract details were mentioned by the club, but Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reports that Varitek will earn $2MM next season (via Twitter).

Varitek, 39 in April, will return for a 15th season in Boston. Last year, the Red Sox captain appeared in just 39 games and he'll likely assume a backup role again in 2011, when Jarrod Saltalamacchia could become the regular Boston backstop.

Thanks in large part to a torrid start at the plate, Varitek finished the 2010 season with a strong .232/.293/.473 batting line. The former Silver Slugger winner belted seven homers in just 123 plate appearances, proving that he still has some pop.

Though Varitek struggled to limit opposing base stealers early in the season, he threw out nine of 43 would-be base stealers overall. That figure (21%) is below average, but significantly better than the 13% mark he posted in 2009.

Heyman was the first to break the news of the signing on December 2, and MLB.com's Peter Gammons adds that the deal has $300K in incentives.

Ben Nicholson-Smith and Mark Polishuk contributed to this post.

Red Sox Sign Carl Crawford

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The Red Sox are officially the winners of the 2010 Winter Meetings. Boston signed a seven-year, $142MM deal with Carl Crawford, just days after acquiring Adrian Gonzalez. The deal, which is official now that Crawford has passed his physical, includes a partial no-trade clause.

Not only will the move give Boston a tremendous everyday lineup, it will put pressure on a number of the team's rivals. The Rays will face their former outfielder 18 times per season; the Angels lose out on their top offseason target and the Yankees are left with no major free agent to pursue if Cliff Lee ignores their overtures. According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, the Yankees never made a formal offer to Crawford, while the Angels may have topped out at $108MM.

Crawford will become the first position player without a 20 homer season on his resume to sign a nine-figure contract. His representatives at Legacy Sports negotiated a deal that falls just short of the eight-year, $160MM Dan Duquette signed Manny Ramirez to a decade ago. However, it surpasses the seven-year, $126MM deal Jayson Werth signed this week.

The Red Sox add another outfielder to the roster and another left-handed bat to the lineup. It's likely that Terry Francona will play Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew in the outfield with Mike Cameron and Ryan Kalish as backups. Drew, Kalish, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz all bat left-handed.

Crawford, 29, batted .307/.356/.495 with 19 homers and 47 stolen bases in 657 plate appearances for the Rays last year. He made his fourth All-Star team and managers and coaches recognized his above-average defense with a Gold Glove.

It's not much compensation for losing a franchise player, but the Rays will get two draft picks next June for losing a Type A free agent after offering arbitration. They pick up a supplementary first rounder plus Boston's 24th overall pick. The Red Sox already obtained the 19th overall pick when the Tigers signed Victor Martinez.

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe broke the news (on Twitter) and  Jon Heyman of SI.com added detail on the partial no-trade clause (Twitter link).  Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link) has the yearly numbers: Crawford receives a $6MM signing bonus, $14MM in 2011, $19.5MM in 2012, $20MM in 2013, and then his pay increases by $250K each season before topping out at $21MM in 2017.

Russell Martin Rumors: Friday

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Yesterday, we learned that free agent catcher Russell Martin has offers from the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays. He also has a multiyear offer from a mystery team, but Boston may be the favorite to sign the former Dodger. Here are today's rumors:

  • The Yankees are taking an aggressive approach with Martin, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • Agent Matt Colleran tells Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com that his client is deciding between the three AL East teams: the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays (Twitter link).

Russell Martin Rumors: Thursday

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We learned yesterday that free agent catcher Russell Martin has multiple offers in hand.  The latest:

  • Martin is weighing offers from the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and a mystery team, according to Marc Carig of the Star Ledger (on Twitter). The mystery team has proposed a multiyear deal.
  • Matt Colleran, Martin's agent, told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that he has multiple offers and that the Red Sox view Martin strictly as a catcher (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox are considered the frontrunner for Martin, reports ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • Boston has an offer out to Martin, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link). The Yankees and Blue Jays are still involved.
  • The Yankees and Red Sox are going very hard after Martin, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown.

Odds & Ends: Jeter, Cameron, Rich Hill

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Another eventful Winter Meetings has come to a close.  Even with the pre-meetings action involving Adrian Gonzalez, Jayson Werth, and Shaun Marcum, we had plenty to talk about this week.  Carl Crawford signed the biggest deal of the offseason so far.  Paul Konerko stayed with the White Sox after some drama.  Carlos Pena found a pillow contract with the Cubs.  J.J. Putz assumed the Diamondbacks' closer role.  The Orioles rebuilt the left side of their infield with Mark Reynolds and J.J. Hardy.  The Pirates, Mariners, Padres, Royals, Rockies, Mets, and others made additions as well.  On to today's links…

Gonzalez: No Agreement In Place With Red Sox

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Adrian Gonzalez hasn't agreed to anything more than a trade. In a phone interview with the Mexican blog Puro Beisbol (link in Spanish), the normally tight-lipped first baseman denied reports from Sports Illustrated, USA Today and other sources that he and the Red Sox have tentatively agreed to an extension that won't be announced until April in order for the team to avoid luxury tax.

"Nothing about that is true," Gonzalez told Fernando Ballesteros. "It's false. I haven't signed any contract." Indeed, by Gonzalez's account, the two sides have yet to even delve into specific figures, despite word that he asked for, and received, approximately $161MM over eight years. "We discussed the trade, but we didn't reach any agreement, and we didn't negotiate numbers," Gonzalez explained. "The only thing I have for sure is the contract that I had already signed with the Padres, and what I can tell you is that over the course of the season we're going to negotiate to reach an agreement."

Left unasked was what, specifically, led to the impasse that nearly derailed the trade last week, but Gonzalez's quotes leave open the possibility that it centered on expectations of years rather than salary. When asked if eight years, $161MM was his goal, Gonzalez stayed mum, saying, "Look, the market changes every day in baseball. Right now I don't know what to tell you because the team could use it to its advantage, so the day that [the Red Sox] want to sit down and discuss my contract, we'll happily do it, and that day we'll say what we want."

Gonzalez gives no indication of discontent with his new team in the interview, insisting that he is "enthusiastic" about both the upcoming season and reports of how his power will play in Fenway Park. However, his portrayal of the negotiations tempers expectations, at least for the time being, about the dawn of a Gonzalez/Crawford decade in Boston.

Odds & Ends: Young, Francis, Twins, Fielder, Nady

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A handful of links to start the final day of the Winter Meetings….

  • The Mets prefer Chris Young to Jeff Francis, and are still trying to sign one of the two veteran starters, says Mike Puma of the New York Post. However, both pitchers are looking for upwards of $4MM for 2011, which is more than the Mets are willing to pay.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Twins are seeking front-end rotation help, such as Carl Pavano. They're also considering moving arms from their back-end surplus, such as Kevin Slowey.
  • The amount of money being spent on free agents this offseason might be making it more obvious to the Brewers that they have little chance of retaining Prince Fielder past next year. As Danny Knobler of CBS Sports writes, that could make Milwaukee more inclined to deal Fielder sooner rather than later.
  • The Diamondbacks are talking to Xavier Nady, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports initially linked the D'Backs to Nady on Tuesday.
  • With Jason Varitek and Jarrod Saltalamacchia under contract, the Red Sox are still pursuing another catcher, according to GordonEdes of ESPNBoston.
  • Astros GM Ed Wade says he doesn't intend to acquire a left fielder, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. If the Astros added an outfielder, it would move Carlos Lee to first base and leave Brett Wallace out of the picture, and the club wants to give Wallace a chance to earn the first base job.

Crawford Fallout: Lee, Downs, Ordonez, Beltre

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While Boston's agreement with Carl Crawford is, of course, a huge move in its own right, the impact it could have on other free agents can't be overlooked. Here are a few players and teams who may be affected by the Crawford signing:

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post speculates (via Twitter) that the Angels and Rangers, who were in on Crawford, could make a stronger push for Cliff Lee now. Brian Cashman, however, says the move won't affect the Yankees' tactics with Lee (Twitter link). Regardless, Crawford's contract is widely viewed as great news for the southpaw. Newsday's Ken Davidoff writes that "it just gets better and better to be Cliff Lee this winter."
  • As Lou Merloni writes at WEEI.com, the Red Sox could become more interested in Scott Downs now that the Type A free agent wouldn't cost a first round pick. Boston will send its first round pick to Tampa Bay as compensation for Crawford, so they'd only have to surrender a second rounder if they signed Downs.
  • The Red Sox have almost certainly been eliminated as a suitor for Magglio Ordonez now, which is good news for the Tigers. According to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, Detroit "badly wants to re-sign" Ordonez, and while the veteran has a handful of suitors, it appeared Boston's interest was serious.
  • Having missed out on Crawford, the Angels are expected to turn their "full attention" to Adrian Beltre and perhaps Rafael Soriano, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
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