Martinez report is encouraging

With 25 days to go before pitchers and catchers report for spring training, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said yesterday he was encouraged by a report on Pedro Martinez's condition as the ace prepares for his seventh -- and perhaps final -- season in Boston.

Martinez, who traveled to Miami from the Dominican Republic last week so the Sox could evaluate his offseason progress, appears poised to arrive in Fort Myers, Fla., next month without any lingering effects from his workload last year or his shoulder injury in 2001. Martinez threw for Chris Correnti, the team's assistant trainer and rehabilitation coordinator, who informed Epstein the three-time Cy Young Award winner seemed ahead of his pace from last year, particularly the condition of his shoulder.

Epstein said he was very optimistic about the report, which suggests Martinez has maintained his typically grueling offseason training regimen as he approaches the final year before he could experience his first taste of free agency.

Martinez's condition was less certain last January when he remained concerned about a frayed rotator cuff that sidelined him much of the 2001 season.

The Sox also wanted to see how well he bounced back from last season, especially from throwing 451 pitches over 28 1/3 innings in his four postseason starts. In all, Martinez pitched 215 innings last season, his most since he pitched 217 in 2000.

Burks in the works?

Aiming to bolster their bench with a proven and affordable righthanded bat, the Sox are weighing the possibility of bringing Ellis Burks back to Boston. Twelve years after the Sox made Burks a free agent, citing a "high risk" of offering him a long-term contract because of his history of injuries, Burks could complement or supplant David McCarty as a righthanded option off the bench.

"Clearly, they have expressed interest in Ellis," said his agent, Jim Turner, who spoke with the Sox as recently as last weekend. "In a perfect world, this thing moves along. The opportunity appeals to him as something that could be truly special."

Burks, 39, missed more than three months last season with the Indians after having surgery on his right elbow. But he hit .301 with 32 homers and 91 RBIs the previous year for Cleveland. In fact, he has hit .299 with 258 homers and 818 RBIs since the Sox let him go, pushing his career totals to .292 with 351 homers, 1,205 RBIs, and a .364 on-base percentage. He has hit .311 in his career against lefties.

The Sox are studying the medical file on Burks as they explore a possible financial fit. Burks, one of the game's most positive influences in the clubhouse, has no hard feelings about his first stint in Boston. He was the team's top pick in the 1983 draft and an All-Star with the Sox in 1990.

"It was a hard time, but it was a long time ago," Turner said. "Everything has changed, and he would be delighted to come back."

Texas pitcher claimed

The Sox gambled on a castoff from one of the worst pitching staffs in the majors, claiming righthander Reynaldo Garcia off waivers from the Rangers. Garcia, 29, has logged an 11.25 ERA with no decisions in 20 appearances for Texas since his big league debut in 2002 . . . The search for a third base coach has entered a new phase as the Sox appear to have abandoned hope of prying former Anaheim manager Terry Collins away from Los Angeles, where he serves as minor league field coordinator. The Sox have begun interviewing candidates, including Dale Sveum, who has managed Pittsburgh's Double A team in Altoona the last three years.

Gordon Edes of the Globe staff contributed to this report.