Drew, Red Sox continue negotiating contract

It was Dec. 5, at about 6:45 p.m., in the lobby of The Dolphin Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., when Scott Boras announced that J.D. Drew had agreed to a five-year, $70 million deal with the Red Sox. Today is Jan. 17, 2007. A new month, a new year, and the deal remains in limbo.

Nonetheless, there is no angst apparent on either side, seemingly no doubt that Drew will be the team's starting right fielder and No. 5 hitter. Word is that the sides have been having frequent dialogue to craft precise language about medical concerns in Drew's right shoulder. The sides are progressing, according to a source involved in the talks.

The source described the talks as, "Combine medical language and legal language into one, and that's what you're up against. Every time there's medical language proposed, it takes a couple of days to decipher it. And then there are discussions back and forth and revisions are made. Both sides are looking for precise language to protect their assets."

Neither side wants this to go on much longer, so they're hoping for a resolution by the end of the week. Meanwhile, the Sox have two major arbitration-eligible players in right fielder Wily Mo Peña and reliever Brendan Donnelly. The sides exchanged salary proposals yesterday. Peña is seeking $2.2 million while the Sox have come in at $1.725 million. Peña, 24, who earned $1.25 million last season, is expected to be the fourth outfielder/backup first baseman; the Sox are hoping he can get up to 400 at-bats. Peña, who has enormous strength and power, hit .301 last year, with 11 homers and 42 RBIs in 276 at-bats.

Donnelly, who made $950,000 with the Angels last season, is asking for $1.65 million while the Sox have filed a $1.15 million figure. Donnelly, who was acquired for lefthander Phil Seibel in December, went 6-0 with a 3.94 ERA last year. Arbitration cases are scheduled to be heard Feb. 1-20, but the Sox hope to avoid the process. The Sox have never taken a case to arbitration in the Theo Epstein era.

Righthander Francisco Rodriguez, who had a major league-leading 47 saves last season, avoided arbitration with the Los Angeles Angels last night, agreeing to a one-year, $7 million contract. Rodriguez, 25, went 2-3 with a 1.73 ERA last year, and saved 45 games in 2005, his first year as the Angels' closer. The Angels signed Rodriguez as a minor league free agent in 1998, and after joining them late in the 2002 season, he won five games during their playoff run to the World Series championship. He has a 16-12 lifetime record with a 2.29 ERA and 106 saves in 268 games. The Angels also agreed to terms with reliever Scot Shields ($3.4 million) and infielder Robb Quinlan (two years, $1.85 million) . . . Closer Brad Lidge agreed to a $5.35 million, one-year contract with Houston, avoiding arbitration following a rough year in which he temporarily lost his job. Lidge, who was 1-5 with a 5.28 ERA and 32 saves and blew a career-high six saves, will get a raise from $3,975,000 . . . The Mets finalized a $10.8 million, three-year contract with lefthander Scott Schoeneweis and a $1.25 million, one-year deal with righthander Jorge Sosa. In addition, New York settled its two arbitration cases, agreeing to a $1,725,000, one-year contract with postseason hero Endy Chavez and an $850,000, one-year deal with backup catcher Ramon Castro. Schoeneweis, 33, was 4-2 with a 4.88 ERA in 71 games last season for Toronto and Cincinnati, which acquired him Aug. 16. He takes the setup role that opened when Chad Bradford left to sign a $10.5 million, three-year deal with the Orioles. . . . The Tigers avoided salary arbitration with all four players that filed, agreeing to one-year contracts with outfielder Craig Monroe ($4.775 million), lefthander Nate Robertson ($3.26 million), righthander Fernando Rodney ($1.05 million), and infielder Omar Infante ($1.3 million) . . . White Sox third baseman Joe Crede, who had 30 home runs and 94 RBIs, agreed to a $4.94 million, one-year contract . . . Outfielder Matt Holliday, who hit .326 with 34 homers and 114 RBIs, agreed to a $4.4 million, one-year contract with the Rockies. The team also inked lefthander Jeremy Affeldt, who accepted a $1.25 million, one-year deal, pitcher Rodrigo Lopez ($4,325,000), who was obtained from Baltimore Friday after going 9-18 last year, and outfielder Cory Sullivan ($900,000).

. . . Center fielder Aaron Rowand, who had two extended stays on the disabled list, avoided arbitration with the Phillies by agreeing to a $4.35 million, one-year contract . . . Righthander Kyle Lohse, who was acquired from Minnesota July 31 and moved into the Reds' starting rotation down the stretch, agreed to a one-year, $4.2 million contract . . . The Athletics agreed to one-year contracts with outfielder Milton Bradley ($4 million), infielder Marco Scutaro ($1.55 million), and righthander Kiko Calero ($1.6 million) . . . Seattle lefthander Horacio Ramirez, acquired from Atlanta Dec. 7, agreed to a $2.65 million, one-year contract. The Mariners also avoided salary arbitration with first baseman Ben Broussard, agreeing to a $3.55 million, one-year contract . . . Akinori Otsuka, who had 32 saves after taking over as the Rangers' closer last season, agreed to a $3 million, one-year deal. The Rangers also signed outfielder Brad Wilkerson, who hit .222 with 15 home runs and 44 RBIs in 95 games before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right shoulder in August, signed for $4.35 million, and righthander Rick Bauer ($730,000). Otsuka became the Texas closer after Francisco Cordero set a major league record with five blown saves in April, and was later traded. Otsuka converted 32 of 36 save chances and was 2-4 with a 2.11 ERA in 63 games . . . Reliever Luis Vizcaino, acquired this month from Arizona in the Randy Johnson trade, and the Yankees reached agreement on a one-year contract worth $3 million . . . The Diamondbacks agreed to a $3.9 million, one-year contract with Gold Glove second baseman Orlando Hudson. Arizona also signed reliever Jose Valverde, who had 18 saves in 22 opportunities, to a $2 million, one-year contract, and reliever Brandon Lyon for $1.5 million . . . Outfielder So Taguchi, 37, and the Cardinals agreed to a one-year contract that will guarantee him $1,025,000 . . . The Devil Rays agreed to one-year deals with infielder Ty Wigginton ($750,000), who led the team with a career-high 24 homers and 79 RBIS, and righthander Seth McClung ($750,000) . . . Tampa Bay outfielder Elijah Dukes, 22, was arrested Monday in Tampa and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession after a traffic stop. Dukes, who lives in nearby Brandon, Fla., was pulled over in his 2006 Dodge Charger because of a loud music violation, police said. An officer smelled marijuana, and a search by a police dog found less than 2 grams of marijuana in the car's center console, police said. Dukes was suspended for 15 games at Triple-A Durham last year for disciplinary reasons . . . Pirates closer Mike Gonzalez, who was 3-4 with a 2.17 ERA and converted all 24 of his save opportunities before sitting out the final five weeks with a sore elbow, and outfielder Xavier Nady bypassed arbitration by agreeing to one-year contracts with the Pirates. Gonzalez will make $2.35 million, up from $347,000, and Nady received $2.15 million deal after earning $1,077,000 last year. And NL batting champion Freddy Sanchez filed for $3.1 million; the Pirates countered with $2.15 million . . . The Indians and reliever Rafael Betancourt agreed to an $840,000, one-year contract . . . Outfielder Kevin Mench and the Brewers agreed to a one-year, $3.4 million contract, avoiding salary arbitration. Mench, who was obtained July 28 in a multiplayer trade that sent Carlos Lee to the Rangers, hit .230 with one home run and 18 RBIs in 40 games for the Brewers, when his salary was $2.8 million . . . Outfielder Chris Snelling, who was acquired from Seattle last month, agreed to a $450,000, one-year contract with the Nationals.

Righthander Carlos Zambrano sought $15.5 million in salary next season, while the Cubs asked Mark Prior to take a pay cut in arbitration figures. Zambrano earned $6.5 million last season and went 16-7 with a 3.41 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 33 starts. The Cubs offered $11,025,000 to Zambrano, who is eligible for free agency next offseason. Prior, who made $3.65 million during an injury-riddled season in which he went 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA, is asking for $3,875,000; the Cubs offered the righthander $3.4 million. Chicago agreed on a $2.5 million, two-year contract with lefthanded reliever Will Ohman, 29, who set career highs in appearances (78), stranded 33 of 41 inherited runners, and limited opponents to a .208 batting average . . . The Twins swapped offers with several of their young stars, including AL MVP Justin Morneau and batting champ Joe Mauer. The Twins offered Morneau $4 million, Mauer $3.3 million, and cleanup hitter Michael Cuddyer $3 million. Morneau, who hit .321 with 34 homers and 130 RBIs in winning the MVP season, asked for $5 million, a hefty raise from his $385,000 salary last season. Mauer, who hit .347 to become the first catcher to win an AL batting title, made just $400,000 last season, but asked for $4.5 million next year. Cuddyer, who made $1.35 million last season, hit .284 with 24 homers and 109 RBIs. He asked for $4.25 million . . . Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera, who made $472,000 last season, asked for a salary of $7.4 million in arbitration, while the team countered with an offer of $6.7 million. Cabrera finished second in the NL with a .339 batting average, with 26 homers and 114 RBIs. Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis agreed to a $6.45 million, one-year deal Monday and avoided arbitration . . . Sammy Sosa, who hasn't played since the 2005 season, and the Rangers are negotiating a minor league contract that would allow the 38-year-old former slugger to attempt his comeback in the town where he began his career. The Rangers signed Sosa at age 16 in July 1985. He hit .238 with one homer and three RBIs in his major league debut for Texas before being traded to the White Sox, where he stayed until he was traded to the Cubs in 1992 . . . In honor of its last year before being replaced, Yankee Stadium will be the site of the 2008 All-Star Game, ESPN.com said.