Red Sox attempting to cover all bases

Take a deep breath. There's lots to digest.

The Red Sox have talked to the Arizona Diamondbacks about trading for Randy Johnson, though a team source said the five-time Cy Young Award winner is "not necessarily our top priority."

The Sox have talked to the Oakland A's about trading for All-Star righthander Tim Hudson, though the chances are remote. The Sox also have reached out to free agent starters such as Carl Pavano and Brad Radke as possible successors to Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez, whose dealings with the Mets and Yankees the Boston brass continue to monitor closely. In the latest development, the Yankees last night appeared close to turning their attention to Martinez after they shelved their pursuit of Johnson.The Sox also have talked with more than a dozen other teams about trade possibilities involving Boston players, marquee stars among them, though the discussions have been preliminary and no deal appears imminent. The Sox have called the agents for nearly every potential starting shortstop on the free agent market except Nomar Garciaparra, and asked them to leave the door open to possible talks.

The Sox have talked to the Washington Nationals about trading for catcher Brian Schneider (with no success) and have contacted an array of free agent catchers in case Jason Varitek signs elsewhere. The Sox have expressed interest in numerous relievers who could fill the voids of Scott Williamson and Mike Myers, with lefthander Steve Kline one of the most desirable targets.

You name it, and the Sox have likely pondered it or pursued it, which makes these hot-stove days of tantalizing headlines and precious little action so dizzying.

Fans yearn to follow general manager Theo Epstein as he works day and night behind closed doors to reconfigure his 2004 championship roster into the '05 edition. Newspapers try to comply by generating reams of information, some of it groundbreaking, much of it speculative, and part of it all but irrelevant. And the hot stove burns.

But if history is a guide, Epstein may take several more weeks to complete the bulk of his work. And by then much of the hot-stove talk in November and early December may prove to have been so much hot air.

Bronson Arroyo, for example, is wondering where he may wind up next season according to his father, Gus, but could remain a member of the Sox. Though Epstein has declined to discuss trade talks, various reports have cited Arroyo as one of the players Boston would send to Arizona for Johnson or Oakland for Hudson.

Arroyo makes sense as trade bait since he ranked among the best bargains in baseball last season when he went 10-9 with a 4.03 ERA and ranked among the league leaders by holding opponents to a .249 average, all while earning only $335,000. The 27-year-old righthander could help small-market teams such as the Diamondbacks, who are trying to move Johnson's massive contract (he is set to earn $16 million next season), or the A's, who owe Hudson $6.75 million next season and are likely to lose him to free agency afterward.

But the Diamondbacks have sought better pitching and prospects than the Sox have been willing to offer and appear far more likely to deal Johnson to the Cardinals or Angels. And the A's have not been enticed to move Hudson.

With the Sox having little chance of landing Johnson, Boston's talks with Arizona appear aimed both at fulfilling Epstein's mission of exploring every viable trade option and driving the price up for the Big Unit.

Epstein hopes to capitalize on his wide-ranging talks with a large number of agents and general managers -- the discussions began in earnest last month at the general managers meetings in Key Biscayne, Fla. -- by making some significant moves before the annual winter meetings end Dec. 13. But he first remains committed to trying to re-sign Varitek and Martinez since finalizing those talks will determine how much money he has left to fill the remaining holes on his roster.

By most indications, the Sox remain closer to wrapping things up with Varitek than Martinez. Varitek has responded to the Sox offering him $36 million over four years by modifying his initial request for $55 million over five years. The sides appear amenable to reaching a compromise, which could fetch Varitek nearly $40 million over four years.

As for Martinez, the Mets were waiting for him to counter their initial offer of $37.5 million over three years with a $12.5 million vesting option for 2008. The Yankees could raise the stakes if they entered the competition for Martinez. The Cardinals and Angels also lingered as potential suitors for Martinez.

For their part, the Sox were poised to guarantee Martinez $38.5 million over three years with $2 million in potential performance bonuses, but they had no intention of offering a fourth year, regardless of the competing bids. That, a source indicated, was not hot air.