''What the heck is our team going to look like next year?'' asked pitcher Tim Wakefield, who went 16-8 with a 3.66 ERA last season with Mirabelli catching him and 0-4 with an 8.66 ERA throwing to Jason Varitek.
The likelihood of a Renteria deal appeared to be ever-changing. Early in the evening, Devil Rays executive Andrew Friedman acknowledged without specifics that a deal involving more than two teams could be consummated as soon as last night. But, later in the night, a club source with one of the teams involved said, ''We're kind of waiting to hear. People have backed off. It could be temporary or not be temporary.''
The Sox could cut separate deals with Atlanta and Tampa Bay, sending Renteria to the Braves for Marte, then using Marte as part of a bigger deal with Tampa Bay in which they would not only acquire the shortstop they have targeted, Julio Lugo, but also first baseman Aubrey Huff and/or closer Danys Baez. The Sox have shown interest in Huff in the past and that may be renewed after they failed to acquire Milwaukee first baseman Lyle Overbay. To make a bigger deal, the Sox would probably have to offer a package including Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach, and pitcher Bronson Arroyo.
The Sox were in the running for Overbay, a lefthanded-hitting first baseman (.276, 19 HRs, 72 RBIs in '05), offering pitcher Matt Clement. But Boston's refusal to pick up any of the remaining $19.25 million on Clement's contract, a Brewers source said, led the Brewers to accept a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, who sent righthander David Bush, pitching prospect Zach Jackson (ostensibly the player to be named later) and outfielder Gabe Gross for Overbay. The Sox at one point substituted Arroyo for Clement in their proposal, but the Brewers' deal was cinched when Toronto included Gross.
