BOSTON -- Some seven weeks after coming to terms on a contract with free-agent outfielder J.D. Drew, the Red Sox finally appear to be on the verge of formalizing that five-year pact.
According to both The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald, the Red Sox will likely announce at some point on Friday that Drew is officially a member of the team.
The reason the deal has been held up for so long is because of concerns the Red Sox had after Drew's physical back in mid-December. In particular, the club's medical staff was worried about the durability of Drew's right shoulder, which was operated on in September 2005.
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and Drew's agent, Scott Boras, have spent the last few weeks trying to reach common ground with regard to language in the contract that would give the club some additional protection in the event that Drew's shoulder breaks down.
It appears that the sides -- which have said all along that they weren't all that far apart -- have come to a resolution. The Globe reported that the Red Sox would be able to opt out of Drew's contract after three years if he has right shoulder woes in the third year of the deal.
The Herald reported that lawyers on both sides are in the process of reviewing the contract, which is the last step before the deal is officially approved.
Drew, who will bat fifth for the Red Sox and replace Trot Nixon in right field, will make $14 million per season.
"I think Drew is a great fit to complement our existing personnel," said Epstein in December. "If you look, last year and the last couple of years -- especially last year -- a couple of our weaknesses were a No. 5 hitter and outfield defense, generally, especially with a fly-ball staff, which we have. Drew, if we end up signing him officially, he addresses both of those areas of concern."
Complete coverage >
Drew, 31, is coming off one of his finest seasons, as he helped the Dodgers to the postseason in 2006 by hitting .283 with 34 doubles, six triples, 20 homers and 100 RBIs.
With his patient approach (career on-base percentage of .393), Drew should fit right in with Boston's offensive philosophy. Drew can also hit the ball to the opposite field, which will help him make a few dents in the Green Monster.
I guess I'm glad that they got the deal done. I think they could have spent the money more wisely elsewhere but it's good that the uncertainty is over. I just didn't want to see Wily Mo roaming RF on a daily basis. Drew is a solid player when he's healthy. Good to see that they have an out clause from the 3rd year on if his shoulder goes out again.
I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.
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Different year, different market. Damon would have gotten $16 mil/year this offseason
Why did Gil Meche get $55mil over 5 yrs from the Royals
Damon is a proven superstar that the Sox would not ante up for. JD is a proven diappointment they are throwing 16 mil at. WTF? Whatever. I think its a tremendous waste of money that could have been better spent elsewhere.
All that's sacred, comes from youth....dedications, naive and true.
As a Yankee fan, I may be biased, but I think Drew is gonna be a major bust. He'll put up solid, not great numbers when he plays. I'd look for 115 games, .270, 20 HR's 80-90 RBI's. Not terrible numbers, but numbers you can get from just about anyone. Certainly not what you would hope for from a $14 million OF. But the biggest problem will be his lackadaisacal attitude while playing for a rabid fanbase. This guy just doesn't care much about playing baseball. Boston will eat him alive.
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....only 14 mil. OK. thanks! phew. your right, its not like its 56 million a year. that would be way more absurd.
You said 16 mil, just wanted to make sure you knew the contract.
Is it absurd money...yes.
Did anyone get anything less than absurd money this off season...no.
Soriano and Lee in the $18 mil a year range, Meche a journeyman middle reliever/spot starter got $11 mil a year.
Drew's contract is in line within a ridiculous marketplace.
So the Royals, Cubs, and Astros jumped off a bridge, and Theo said hey, I'm gonna jump too? The reason Drew's contract is horrible is that he's always hurt. here are Drew's games per year:
Rox CEO: Helton no bargain deal
Monfort says a Red Sox trade could happen by end of week
BOSTON -- With speculation heating up that the Red Sox and Rockies are in serious talks about a trade involving Todd Helton, Colorado owner and CEO Charlie Monfort said Monday this would be no bargain-basement deal.
"This is Todd Helton we're talking about," Monfort told The Associated Press. "We're not just going to give him up for nothing."
Helton is a career .333 hitter, with a .596 slugging percentage, over nine Major League seasons and is four RBIs shy of 1,000.
The Red Sox are believed to be offering third baseman Mike Lowell (one year, $9 million remaining) and right-hander Julian Tavarez in exchange for Helton. The Rockies are interested in young pitching, with various reports pointing toward Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen as possible chips in any deal.
"Tavarez and Lowell are good, and they'll help us this season, but we need to get something else pretty good in return," Monfort said. "So, we'll see."
Monfort also told the AP that if a deal is to be struck, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd would likely make it happen by the end of the week.
"I don't see it dragging on. If Dan and Theo can work out the bodies in the next couple of days, it will happen," said Monfort, who would need to sign off on the trade.
O'Dowd was expected to return to Denver on Monday after tending to a personal matter over the weekend.
Helton told The Denver Post over the weekend he would waive his no-trade clause to play in Boston, but also indicated he wants a deal to happen quickly or he won't approve one.
According to The Boston Globe, the Red Sox and Rockies were expected to talk again Monday about the elements required to make a trade workable.
There are two key sticking points to be worked out before any deal is done. First, the two sides must come to an agreement on how to split the remaining $90.1 million left on Helton's contract. Sources tell the Globe the Rockies may be willing to absorb up to half of the remaining value on Helton's contract, which runs through 2011, with an option for 2012.
The second crucial factor to be determined is which prospects head to Colorado as part of any package. The Rockies are said to be asking for young pitching, with the names Hansen, Delcarmen, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester rumored to be discussed.
Complete coverage >
Should the Rockies demand more in terms of young prospects, it's expected they would have to pick up significantly more than 50 percent of the remaining financial commitment to Helton.
The Boston Herald reported Monday that Josh Beckett, while watching the movie "Fever Pitch" over the weekend at his Florida home, threw his support behind the left-handed-hitting slugger. On Monday, ace Curt Schilling called Helton "the toughest out, by far" he's ever faced in the Majors. Schilling made his comments to WEEI-AM in Boston, while announcing he would not retire after this season and would pitch again in 2008.
If Theo pulls off this deal we are gonna be pissing on the Yankees dead skulls!!! LOL
...when the Rockies asked for more, the deal broke down, and the collapse became official last night. Rockies owner Charles Monfort issued a statement to that effect, saying, "Discussions like these regarding a player of Todd's talent and character are never easy, and it's not surprising we were not able to reach an agreement. Todd has been and will continue to be an important part of our franchise."
...In the end, the Red Sox and Rockies were far apart on two major issues: how much of Helton's $90.1 million contract the Rockies would be willing to assume , and which prospects the Red Sox were willing to part with.
...Also, the Rockies wanted to choose one or two players from a list of Jon Lester, Craig Hansen, Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Bard, Manny Delcarmen, and Clay Buchholz. The Red Sox wouldn't part with any of them. Epstein countered with more of a second-tier prospect list, and that's when the negotiations broke down.
Eh...after the Burger King comments about the fans, he lost a lot of respect throughout the Nation. Not terribly sad to see him go...
I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.
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Comments
And, why the fuck are the SOX giving Drew the money Damon, a proven superstar, was asking for?
This dude better be good, real good, like game 7 2004 ALCS good.
everyone and their brother in Boston thought the same thing regarding the roids...crack down = numbers go down.
guys on roids are always hurt too...hmmmmm....ligaments and joints cannot handle the muscle.
WTF?
According to both The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald, the Red Sox will likely announce at some point on Friday that Drew is officially a member of the team.
The reason the deal has been held up for so long is because of concerns the Red Sox had after Drew's physical back in mid-December. In particular, the club's medical staff was worried about the durability of Drew's right shoulder, which was operated on in September 2005.
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and Drew's agent, Scott Boras, have spent the last few weeks trying to reach common ground with regard to language in the contract that would give the club some additional protection in the event that Drew's shoulder breaks down.
It appears that the sides -- which have said all along that they weren't all that far apart -- have come to a resolution. The Globe reported that the Red Sox would be able to opt out of Drew's contract after three years if he has right shoulder woes in the third year of the deal.
The Herald reported that lawyers on both sides are in the process of reviewing the contract, which is the last step before the deal is officially approved.
Drew, who will bat fifth for the Red Sox and replace Trot Nixon in right field, will make $14 million per season.
"I think Drew is a great fit to complement our existing personnel," said Epstein in December. "If you look, last year and the last couple of years -- especially last year -- a couple of our weaknesses were a No. 5 hitter and outfield defense, generally, especially with a fly-ball staff, which we have. Drew, if we end up signing him officially, he addresses both of those areas of concern."
Complete coverage >
Drew, 31, is coming off one of his finest seasons, as he helped the Dodgers to the postseason in 2006 by hitting .283 with 34 doubles, six triples, 20 homers and 100 RBIs.
With his patient approach (career on-base percentage of .393), Drew should fit right in with Boston's offensive philosophy. Drew can also hit the ball to the opposite field, which will help him make a few dents in the Green Monster.
anyone?...
Why did Gil Meche get $55mil over 5 yrs from the Royals
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Is it absurd money...yes.
Did anyone get anything less than absurd money this off season...no.
Soriano and Lee in the $18 mil a year range, Meche a journeyman middle reliever/spot starter got $11 mil a year.
Drew's contract is in line within a ridiculous marketplace.
1999 104
2000 135
2001 109
2002 135
2003 100
2004 145
2005 72
2006 146
2004 and 2006 look promising right? Only cause he could become a free agent. So look for him to surpass 130 games for the first time in 2012.
edited to add one more note about this puts. Do you know what J.D. stands for? David Jonathan.
THIS MIGHT BE THE DEBUT OF DICE K!!!
ahh I know I hope so!:D
I'm not a Red Sox Fan. But I do have Papplebon in my pool. Is he going to be worth protecting as a Starter?
My other starters are Santana, Peavy, Sheets.
If I protect Papplebon, I drop Andruw Jones off my list.
sick. that's one of the games I got too!
we can meet up and tear it up.
Im gonna get tickets to this one also, but finding a fellow Sox fan here in NY is close to impossible. LOL
Monfort says a Red Sox trade could happen by end of week
BOSTON -- With speculation heating up that the Red Sox and Rockies are in serious talks about a trade involving Todd Helton, Colorado owner and CEO Charlie Monfort said Monday this would be no bargain-basement deal.
"This is Todd Helton we're talking about," Monfort told The Associated Press. "We're not just going to give him up for nothing."
Helton is a career .333 hitter, with a .596 slugging percentage, over nine Major League seasons and is four RBIs shy of 1,000.
The Red Sox are believed to be offering third baseman Mike Lowell (one year, $9 million remaining) and right-hander Julian Tavarez in exchange for Helton. The Rockies are interested in young pitching, with various reports pointing toward Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen as possible chips in any deal.
"Tavarez and Lowell are good, and they'll help us this season, but we need to get something else pretty good in return," Monfort said. "So, we'll see."
Monfort also told the AP that if a deal is to be struck, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd would likely make it happen by the end of the week.
"I don't see it dragging on. If Dan and Theo can work out the bodies in the next couple of days, it will happen," said Monfort, who would need to sign off on the trade.
O'Dowd was expected to return to Denver on Monday after tending to a personal matter over the weekend.
Helton told The Denver Post over the weekend he would waive his no-trade clause to play in Boston, but also indicated he wants a deal to happen quickly or he won't approve one.
According to The Boston Globe, the Red Sox and Rockies were expected to talk again Monday about the elements required to make a trade workable.
There are two key sticking points to be worked out before any deal is done. First, the two sides must come to an agreement on how to split the remaining $90.1 million left on Helton's contract. Sources tell the Globe the Rockies may be willing to absorb up to half of the remaining value on Helton's contract, which runs through 2011, with an option for 2012.
The second crucial factor to be determined is which prospects head to Colorado as part of any package. The Rockies are said to be asking for young pitching, with the names Hansen, Delcarmen, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester rumored to be discussed.
Complete coverage >
Should the Rockies demand more in terms of young prospects, it's expected they would have to pick up significantly more than 50 percent of the remaining financial commitment to Helton.
The Boston Herald reported Monday that Josh Beckett, while watching the movie "Fever Pitch" over the weekend at his Florida home, threw his support behind the left-handed-hitting slugger. On Monday, ace Curt Schilling called Helton "the toughest out, by far" he's ever faced in the Majors. Schilling made his comments to WEEI-AM in Boston, while announcing he would not retire after this season and would pitch again in 2008.
If Theo pulls off this deal we are gonna be pissing on the Yankees dead skulls!!! LOL
...when the Rockies asked for more, the deal broke down, and the collapse became official last night. Rockies owner Charles Monfort issued a statement to that effect, saying, "Discussions like these regarding a player of Todd's talent and character are never easy, and it's not surprising we were not able to reach an agreement. Todd has been and will continue to be an important part of our franchise."
...In the end, the Red Sox and Rockies were far apart on two major issues: how much of Helton's $90.1 million contract the Rockies would be willing to assume , and which prospects the Red Sox were willing to part with.
...Also, the Rockies wanted to choose one or two players from a list of Jon Lester, Craig Hansen, Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Bard, Manny Delcarmen, and Clay Buchholz. The Red Sox wouldn't part with any of them. Epstein countered with more of a second-tier prospect list, and that's when the negotiations broke down.
Lowells rock solid D is not worth giving up for a has been.
Hanson however, I am willing to part with. Kid stinks.
LOL
You must be a Yankees fan?? I think the Sox will win the division,unless you get Clemens or outspend us by about $50mill, then you will win.
__________________________________________________________
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