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GM meetings buzz

Print | Comments () Posted by Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff November 13, 2006 01:45 PM

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NAPLES, Fla. -- GMs from both the AL and NL, dressed in flowered tropical bowling shirts, just departed for their bowling tournament down the road. Theo Epstein wore a yellow tropical design and seemed nervous because he hadn't bowled 10-pin for a while, being a Bostonian and used to candlepin like the rest of us.

The buzz around the meetings, though unconfirmed, is that J.D. Drew is the player the Red Sox have offered a free-agent contract to. Sox officials did not deny that Drew is the one.

Drew's agent, Scott Boras, and his entourage have arrived in Naples. Epstein told the Globe that he had made a free-agent offer to a player but would not reveal his identity.

There have been conflicting reports on when the Seibu Lions will hold their press conference to speak on Daisuke Matsuzaka. Japanese reporters here are still saying the press conference will be 8 p.m. (EST) tonight. There are other reports indicating 8 p.m. tomorrow night. We'll try to nail this down as the afternoon goes on.

Mets GM Omar Minaya remains confident Billerica's Tom Glavine will re-up with the Mets. The terms have been agreed upon and now Glavine must decide between NY and Atlanta.

The Red Sox today named Gary Tuck as the bullpen coach on their major league staff. Tuck, 52, spent the 2006 season as the major league bench coach for the Florida Marlins. He has 23 years of professional experience as a manager, coach, and catching instructor in the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Marlins organizations. Tuck is an old friend of both Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farrell. The move seems to indicate that Al Nipper has been re-assigned or has left the organization.

Tuck joins pitching coach John Farrell, third base coach DeMarlo Hale, hitting coach Dave Magadan, and bench coach Brad Mills on Terry Francona’s 2007 coaching staff. Boston’s first base coaching position has yet to be determined. Bill Haselman and the Red Sox have agreed by mutual decision that he will not return to the coaching staff in 2007. Haselman is currently exploring opportunities both inside and outside of baseball.