redsoxman
02-26-2004, 05:25 AM
BOSTON -- With four cornerstone members of the Red Sox -- Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez, Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe -- eligible for free agency at the end of the season, team president/CEO Larry Lucchino is hoping a new deal can be struck with at least one player before Opening Day.
"It would be nice to remove some of the contract diversion, distraction, before the season starts and we'll endeavor to do so," Lucchino said. "But there is a second window. People need to remember there is a second window and that's (at the end of) the season, October and before free agency takes hold. A number of players are often signed at the end of the season and before they become free agents. Some are even signed after they become free agents. It's not as though there's only one opportunity in Spring Training."
Garciaparra said Tuesday that he'd be open to negotiations during the season, if nothing can get done by the end of the spring.
Though the Red Sox have a club policy of not conducting negotiations during the regular season, Lucchino allowed some wiggle room for that rule to be adjusted in the proper circumstance.
"It is our policy not to negotiate during the season. But there can be exceptions to policies," said Lucchino. "There have been in the past. Most of the experience I've had in recent years, we've tried to live with that policy during the season. But it's a policy that we set so hopefully it's a policy that we can adjust."
Though Garciaparra feels he was low on the team's priority list this past offseason, Lucchino indicated that the club will make a strong attempt to keep the star shortstop in a Sox uniform for the long haul.
"We've explained to him our regrets over some of the things that happened in the offseason and we'd like him to be a cradle to grave member of the Boston Red Sox," said Lucchino.
In the ideal scenario, the Sox would be able to retain both Garciaparra and Martinez, not to mention Lowe, Varitek and David Ortiz.
"That's something that remains to be seen," said Sox chairman Tom Werner. "We hope we can sign most of them. We also hope that we have the benefit of a hometown discount. We also are aware that some of these players are going to want to play out the year."
Given everything that has transpired with Garciaparra, is it still realistic to think the Sox could get him at, in Werner's words, a "hometown discount"?
"No. I actually think that Nomar wants to play for the Red Sox so I hope that we can get to a deal that is fair to both sides," Werner said.
Though ownership will certainly be consulted in negotiations with the club's pending free agents, Werner noted that general manager Theo Epstein will ultimately be in charge of making all the pieces to the puzzle fit in the grand scheme of what's best for the Red Sox.
"I think the point person on this has to be Theo. His job is to manage a very, very robust payroll and to try to do whatever he can to win," Werner said. "He'll operate certainly with our blessing, and he certainly communicates with us. But he's the guy who has to make the final call."
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I'd really like to see the Red Sox management manage to pull this off and sign these four guys.
"It would be nice to remove some of the contract diversion, distraction, before the season starts and we'll endeavor to do so," Lucchino said. "But there is a second window. People need to remember there is a second window and that's (at the end of) the season, October and before free agency takes hold. A number of players are often signed at the end of the season and before they become free agents. Some are even signed after they become free agents. It's not as though there's only one opportunity in Spring Training."
Garciaparra said Tuesday that he'd be open to negotiations during the season, if nothing can get done by the end of the spring.
Though the Red Sox have a club policy of not conducting negotiations during the regular season, Lucchino allowed some wiggle room for that rule to be adjusted in the proper circumstance.
"It is our policy not to negotiate during the season. But there can be exceptions to policies," said Lucchino. "There have been in the past. Most of the experience I've had in recent years, we've tried to live with that policy during the season. But it's a policy that we set so hopefully it's a policy that we can adjust."
Though Garciaparra feels he was low on the team's priority list this past offseason, Lucchino indicated that the club will make a strong attempt to keep the star shortstop in a Sox uniform for the long haul.
"We've explained to him our regrets over some of the things that happened in the offseason and we'd like him to be a cradle to grave member of the Boston Red Sox," said Lucchino.
In the ideal scenario, the Sox would be able to retain both Garciaparra and Martinez, not to mention Lowe, Varitek and David Ortiz.
"That's something that remains to be seen," said Sox chairman Tom Werner. "We hope we can sign most of them. We also hope that we have the benefit of a hometown discount. We also are aware that some of these players are going to want to play out the year."
Given everything that has transpired with Garciaparra, is it still realistic to think the Sox could get him at, in Werner's words, a "hometown discount"?
"No. I actually think that Nomar wants to play for the Red Sox so I hope that we can get to a deal that is fair to both sides," Werner said.
Though ownership will certainly be consulted in negotiations with the club's pending free agents, Werner noted that general manager Theo Epstein will ultimately be in charge of making all the pieces to the puzzle fit in the grand scheme of what's best for the Red Sox.
"I think the point person on this has to be Theo. His job is to manage a very, very robust payroll and to try to do whatever he can to win," Werner said. "He'll operate certainly with our blessing, and he certainly communicates with us. But he's the guy who has to make the final call."
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I'd really like to see the Red Sox management manage to pull this off and sign these four guys.