After signaling contrary intentions the day before, the Red Sox last night elected not to offer salary arbitration to outfielder Trot Nixon, who under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement could still return to the club, but almost certainly at a much reduced price than the $6.5 million he was paid last season.
The Sox had six free agents this winter. One, Alex Gonzalez, already signed with the Cincinnati Reds, and the Sox will receive a supplemental draft choice as compensation.
Of the others, the Sox offered arbitration only to reliever Keith Foulke, who elected free agency after the Sox declined to exercise the option they held on his contract, choosing to pay him a $1.5 million buyout instead. Foulke could have remained with the Sox by exercising a $3.75 million player option, but declined, his agent saying Foulke was hoping to find a team closer to his Arizona home. Foulke has until Thursday to accept the offer of arbitration, which in essence would make him a signed player.
But the Sox don't expect Foulke to accept arbitration after already turning down the option on his contract. By offering arbitration, though, the team can receive a supplemental draft pick after another club signs Foulke, who, like Gonzalez, is a Type B free agent.
The Sox declined arbitration to Nixon (a Type B), catcher Doug Mirabelli, second baseman Mark Loretta, and outfielder Gabe Kapler. Of that group, only Loretta was classified as a Type A free agent, meaning the signing club would have had to surrender their first-round pick to the Sox, who also would have received a supplemental pick sandwiched between the first and second rounds. With Loretta not being offered arbitration, those teams interested in signing him no longer are in jeopardy of losing draft picks, which should accelerate the process of Loretta signing elsewhere.
Among the players offered arbitration by other clubs was the Dodgers' Julio Lugo, in whom the Sox have expressed interest. If Boston signs the free agent shortstop, it would relinquish its first-round draft pick next June to Los Angeles. The Dodgers were prohibited from offering arbitration to outfielder J.D. Drew, whom the Sox are expected to sign, as part of the clause in his contract that allowed him to opt out with three years and $33 million remaining.
The Sox remain in trade talks for Manny Ramírez, with the San Diego Padres remaining one of the most interested parties, but a source close to those talks insisted that Padres pitcher Jake Peavy was not on the table. These situations are, of course, fluid, and while the Sox are committed to moving Ramírez, it remains to be seen if they can strike a deal with the Padres if Peavy is not part of the package.
