Maddux heads to Padres; Red Sox land Drew
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Greg Maddux is headed to the San Diego Padres, while the Boston Red Sox added right fielder J.D. Drew and shortstop Julio Lugo. Halfway through baseball’s winter meetings, teams remained focused on free agents instead of potential trades.
Not a single swap had been made through Tuesday evening, but New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya said he was close to a trade. The Chicago Cubs appeared to be discussing deals involving outfielder Jacque Jones.
“I do believe the free-agent market is kind of holding off a little bit the trade front, because there are so many free agents still available,” Minaya said.
Boston’s attempts to deal Manny Ramirez appeared to be slowing. But the Red Sox did reach preliminary agreements on a $70 million, five-year contract with Drew and a $36 million, four-year deal with Lugo. If healthy, Drew would join David Ortiz and Ramirez in the middle of the lineup.
“With David and Manny, if they want to walk those guys, we want them to pay a steep price,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.
Maddux and the Padres, meanwhile, closed in on a $10 million, one-year contract, a deal that would contain a player option for 2008. Agent Scott Boras, without indicating a team, said Maddux’s deal “was moving positively … but not done yet.”
Details on Maddux’s potential contract with the Padres were disclosed by two people familiar with the talks who spoke in condition of anonymity because no deal had been finalized.
Boras said Barry Zito, another client, was “geographically free.” Zito, the top available free-agent pitcher, could wind up with a contract of six or seven years, a length that might eliminate several suitors.
San Francisco and Barry Bonds seem to be inching toward a deal. Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin would be surprised if Bonds didn’t remain with the Giants.
In the only announced free-agent agreement, reliever LaTroy Hawkins and the Colorado Rockies finalized a $3.5 million, one-year contract. Reliever Joe Borowski and outfielder David Dellucci were to take physicals, a step toward finalizing contracts with Cleveland.
In the overheated market, Ted Lilly was likely to get a four-year contract, with the Chicago Cubs the most likely destination, and Mark Mulder was getting multiyear offers even though he had rotator cuff surgery in September.