Millwood in town for meet and greet
While Johnny Damon was testing the footlights of Broadway yesterday, the Red Sox were actively engaged in trying to place David Wells in Hollywood and free agent righthander Kevin Millwood in their rotation.
According to a team source, Millwood, who led the American League with a 2.86 ERA last season with the Indians, was in Boston last night to meet with manager Terry Francona and other team officials.
Millwood, who turns 31 today and represented by Damon's agent, Scott Boras, earned $7 million last season and is believed to be seeking a five-year deal.
As for Wells, the Sox approached their talks with the Dodgers with some urgency, trying to find a match with new general manager Ned Colletti, who has warmed to the idea of having the 42-year-old lefthander join a rotation that goes four deep in veterans but lacks someone with the big-game cachet of the Boomer. Derek Lowe? He did it for one unforgettable month. Wells has 15 years' worth of high-tension success on his résumé, though he surely would like to take back the hanging curveball he threw to Tadahito Iguchi this past October in the game that dashed the Red Sox season.
The Dodgers appear to have replaced the Padres as the most likely landing spot for Wells, who is insisting on a trade that will put him back on the West Coast. Colletti has done a masterful job of hanging onto the Dodgers' top prospects while adding nearly $70 million in new free agents, including Nomar Garciaparra, Rafael Furcal, and Bill Mueller. But the Sox, who gave up two pitching prospects (Anibal Sánchez and Jesus Delgado) in the Josh Beckett deal, no doubt are asking the Dodgers for young arms such as Edwin Jackson, Jonathan Broxton, and Chad Billingsley or third baseman Andy LaRoche in return for Wells, who turns 43 next May.
The other track the Sox could take would be to add another reliever, and with Eric Gagne expected to be healthy again, the Dodgers could dangle either Yhency Brazoban or Duaner Sanchez, with Colletti probably more inclined to part with a setup man than one of his kids. But as of last night, it appeared the Sox were insisting on prospects, as well, with the possibility that they'll use a player or players acquired from LA in another trade for another player in which they have interest, Tampa Bay shortstop Julio Lugo. But so far, the asking price for Lugo has been more than the Sox are willing to accept for a player who they'd have under their control for just one season.
The latest round of talks with the Padres, according to a source, had GM Kevin Towers reviving his offer of center fielder Dave Roberts and righthander Woody Williams for Wells. But the Sox appear to have little interest in Williams, who is scheduled to earn $5 million next season.
Nick Cafardo of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
