Tavarez will not appeal ban

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Julian Tavarez will begin his first season with the Red Sox on the suspended list. The 32-year-old reliever, who struck Tampa Bay's Joey Gathright in the face with his fist during an exhibition game Monday, will not appeal his 10-day suspension, according to Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein.

Tavarez, who remained behind in training camp while the team flew to Philadelphia yesterday for weekend exhibition games against the Phillies, will begin his suspension Monday, when the Red Sox open against the Rangers in Texas. He will be eligible to pitch April 13 in Fenway Park against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Sox will play their first eight games -- three in Texas, three in Baltimore and two at home against Toronto -- with 24 players, one fewer than the maximum allowed. Last season, the Red Sox and Yankees finished with 95-67 records, so being forced to play shorthanded could have a direct bearing on the team's playoff prospects.

Tavarez, who last winter signed a two-year, $6.7 million contract that makes him one of the highest-paid setup men in the league, has been suspended six times. That includes a 10-game suspension in 2004 while with the Cardinals for applying pine tar on his cap, which is considered an illegal substance for pitchers.

The other suspensions, with four different teams, have been related to on-field brawls. Five years ago, he also was fined and ordered to take sensitivity training classes after making derogatory comments about fans in San Francisco while a member of the Giants.

While watching the team work out late yesterday morning, before Tavarez's decision had been announced, Sox manager Terry Francona said he thought it was in the team's best interests that Tavarez serve the suspension immediately. Had Tavarez appealed, the suspension would not have taken effect until after a hearing. The Sox have two off days while Tavarez is suspended, and are carrying just four starters (David Wells will be placed on the disabled list and activated April 12) and six relievers. ''I think we're well situated," Francona said. ''Nobody will be tired."

Curiously, baseball suspensions are almost always meted out in games, not days. Bob Watson, who as vice president of on-field operations is in charge of discipline for MLB, did not respond to a phone message yesterday.

David Ortiz, told of a report on ESPNDeportes he had agreed to a four-year contract extension, said, ''Wow." Told the deal reportedly was for $50 million, he added, ''Sounds good to me."

His only problem with the agreement? He insists it hasn't happened yet.

''I told my agent [Fernando Cuza], 'If you hear anything, let me hear afterwards, don't tell me before,' " he said. ''I don't know. I haven't heard anything. I'm serious."

Epstein said the club was engaged in ''quiet discussions" about a new deal, which is in keeping with the club's pledge to conduct business privately.

The parameters of the deal as outlined in the report are credible. Since John W. Henry took ownership of the team, the club has not offered any player a contract longer than four years. Ortiz is being paid $6.5 million this season, and the club holds an $8.4 million option on 2007 (it was $7.75 million but the higher figure was triggered when Ortiz finished second in MVP voting last season).

The four-year, $50 million deal would be $2.5 million a year more, on average, than the four-year, $40 million deal signed by Jason Varitek last season; Johnny Damon rejected a $40 million offer this winter. The average annual value (AAV) is also slightly higher than the $12 million AAV the Chicago White Sox gave their top slugger, Paul Konerko, this winter. Such a deal would make Ortiz the third-highest paid player on the Sox, behind Manny Ramírez and Curt Schilling, who will be paid $13 million in each of the next two seasons.

Red Sox second baseman Mark Loretta, a key member of the player union's executive council, said he had received a heads-up from union chief Don Fehr that MLB was launching an independent investigation of steroids under the direction of former United States Senator George Mitchell. ''We did talk a little bit about it," Loretta said. ''Don has a pretty good relationship with George. I think they'll be in contact throughout the process. But nobody knows where it's going to lead." Loretta said he saw ''bits and pieces" of Bud Selig's announcement of the investigation. ''Basically what they're saying is as an industry we're going to look at what's going on and what's happened and who's to blame for it, and that's certainly not just one-sided [on the players]. I think the byproduct of this already has taken place, which is the strictest drug policy. In some ways, you would think this investigation would have taken place before the outcome of a stronger policy. The sequence is a little bit off. I don't know the ins and outs. I don't know how much pressure Congress is putting on Bud. I know the public pressure is heavy. But what's done is done. I don't know what can be done about it now. I think it's unfortunate timing, especially the start of the season. I wonder how much the casual fan cares about this, the fan who goes to three or four games."

Josh Beckett threw 48 pitches and three innings in a minor league game yesterday. ''It went fine," he said. Beckett is scheduled to make his first start for the Sox Wednesday night in Texas . . . Gabe Kapler, rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles' tendon, flew back to Boston, where he will continue his program under the supervision of Scott Waugh, the team's rehabilitation coordinator . . . Francona said pitching coach Dave Wallace is able to drive, but is still weeks from having hip replacement surgery. Francona estimates it might be June 1 that Wallace, whose condition was complicated by infections, can have surgery . . . Righthander David Pauley, who is slated to open the season for Double-A Portland, gets the start in Philadelphia today . . . Among the eight extra players the Sox will have is Willie Harris, who will then go to Chicago for the White Sox' World Series ring ceremony before heading to Pawtucket . . . The Sox finished the Grapefruit League 9-18. Only the Washington Nationals (9-21) had a worse record in Florida, and the White Sox, 8-19 in Arizona, were the only American League team with a worse record. Coco Crisp led all Sox players (with 20 or more at-bats) with a .449 average. Ramírez and Kevin Youkilis had three home runs apiece. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez batted just .116 (5 for 43); if he doesn't hit, expect a revival of the Julio Lugo trade rumors come July. The Sox had a three-way deal in place with Atlanta and Tampa Bay in which they would have netted Lugo, the Braves would have gotten Edgar Renteria, and the Devil Rays would have gotten third base prospect Andy Marte. A Red Sox source said the deal collapsed because the D-Rays insisted the Sox throw in another prospect, so the Sox and Braves made a Renteria-for-Marte swap. Marte was flipped to the Indians for Crisp, and the Sox signed Gonzalez to a free agent deal.