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Sox' payroll rising; Pena-for-Cordero rumor denied

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Red Sox leave baseball's winter meetings tomorrow morning with work still to be done -- finding a closer, acquiring a backup catcher, signing Daisuke Matsuzaka -- but they'll depart with a stronger team than they had when they arrived . . . albeit more expensive.

Tomorrow morning, the Journal and projo.com will have a full examination of the Red Sox' anticpated 2007 payroll in light of the free-agent signings of J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo and the expected addition of Matsuzaka. Since the new ownership group took charge in 2002 the Sox have been rigid about attempting not to exceed the luxury-tax limit, which will be at $148 million in '07. But they seem likely to break past it next season, especially in lieu what they'll have to pay for Matsuzaka and any established closer.

Speaking of closers, a rumor spread yesterday afternoon that the Sox and Nationals were discussing a Wily Mo Pena-for-Chad Cordero deal. But the report was shot down by team officials last night. Even though Washington general manager Jim Bowden traded for Pena when he was GM at Cincinnati, it would take more than Pena to pry Cordero lose from the Nationals.

The last piece of scheduled business is Thursday morning's Rule 5 draft. General manager Theo Epstein told reporters it was "50-50" that the Sox would make a selection, and that if they did it would almost certainly be a pitcher.

-- SEAN McADAM

Posted by Art  at 7:40 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

The meetings wind down

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- After the flurry of activity last night, in which the Red Sox landed the two free agents (J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo) they'd been seeking, today was much quieter -- as far as the Sox were concerned -- at baseball's winter meetings.

There appeared to be little or no movement on the Manny Ramirez trade front as the Sox' self-imposed Wednesday midnight deadline appraoched. General manager Theo Epstein and his staff spent in the day in talks with other teams, but there's no indication at the moment that anything is imminent.

The Boston contingent plans to leave after tomorrow morning's Rule 5 draft.

Epstein will meet the media tonight at 7 p.m. We'll have an update afterwards.

-- SEAN McADAM

Posted by Art  at 5:21 PM | Permalink