Boston Red Sox Rumors Piled High with Stuffing and Smothered in Gravy

As Thanksgiving dinner cooks on the stove, so do the rumors about Red Sox players, prospects, trades, and free agents. Perhaps the biggest question in Boston this offseason remains the same: What will the Sox do with Jason Varitek? 

Rumors surfaced earlier this week that the Red Sox had offered their captain a one-year contract deal for an undisclosed amount. Tek's agent, Scott Boras, denied there had been any contract offered and went on to say, "I've had no financial discussions with Theo regarding Jason Varitek."

The Red Sox have to determine their arbitration salaries for their free agents by Monday, the players then have until Dec. 7 to accept or decline the offer. Of Boston's eight eligible free agents, Jason Varitek is the only player they intend to offer arbitration to, leaving David Ross, Alex Cora, Mark Kotsay, Mike Timlin, Curt Schilling, Paul Byrd, and Bartolo Colon to explore their options elsewhere.

Varitek is searching for a multi-year deal, which means if the Red Sox only offer him a one-year deal, there is a very good chance that he will decline the offer and continue searching for a long-term deal.

The Detroit Tigers talks with the Red Sox over Boston's shortstop Julio Lugo hit the doldrums today. The deal would have seen Lugo go to Detroit in exchange for a left-handed hurler, either Dontrelle Willis or Nate Robertson. All three players involved have similar contracts with two years left, Lugo with $18 million to come, Willis with $22 million, and Robertson still having $17 million to collect.

As the talks of sending Lugo to Detroit slow and now are considered a remote possibility, the chances of seeing him in Fort Myers for Spring Training are good. He will most likely be competing for the starting spot with Jed Lowrie, who was called up from the minors and finished the second half of last season after Lugo suffered a torn quadricep.

If Lowrie snags the starting job, Lugo will most likely be moved to a utility role.

The Red Sox's interest in 22 year-old Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa has been no secret, nor has Tazawa's interest in playing for the Red Sox. Sources say that Boston has offered the right-hander a $6 million contract offer.

An offer that pales in comparison the $103.1 million that Boston spent to pick up Daisuke Matsuzaka two years ago. The main reason for the price difference between Tazawa and Matsuzaka is that Tazawa has never played professionally. 

Tazawa intentionally stayed out of Japan's professional leagues in hopes he would be drafted to a major league team, a move that could cost him a three-year ban from Japan's professional leagues if his career in the major leagues proves unsuccessful and he returns to play ball in Japan. 

Players in Japans professional leagues must wait nine years before becoming free agents and they are discouraged from pursuing professional careers by a three-year ban if they choose to skip Japanese amateur draft to play professionally overseas. The Red Sox had to pay the Seibu Lions a blind bid of $51.1 million dollars just to win negotiation rights to Matsuzaka. 

After a rough season in and out of the majors, prospect Clay Buchholz made several adjustments in the Arizona Fall League and is expected to to fight for a spot in Boston's 2009 starting rotation. Mike Hazen, Boston's director of player development, said, "I think Buchholz comes in and competes for the major league roster.  He had good experience out in Arizona, made a lot of adjustments."

In regards to Clay's shaky performance in the majors this year, Hazen said, "He's dealt with failure for the first time, and figuring out ways to respond to that."

Hazen went on to confirm, "But this guy has major-league weapons and has a chance."