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November 6, 2007
By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer
With the free-agent market for pitchers pretty thin this baseball offseason, the Red Sox decided it was best to sign someone the club knows, respects and feels will be reliable.
Veteran Curt Schilling, who will turn 41 on Nov. 14, and the Sox have agreed on a one-year incentive-driven deal worth a base salary of $8 million with another $6 in bonuses. Epstein said the negotiation process went smoothly and it only took a couple of days following the club’s second World Series title in four seasons, for the two sides to agree on a deal.
“Curt wanted to stay here and we wanted him back as long as we could get some protection in the contract, and we were able to accomplish that pretty quickly,” said Epstein.
It’s very possible that Schilling could have made more guaranteed money with another club – one of the many other teams he recently said he would play for – but he also knows that he has cemented his baseball legacy in Boston with two World Series Championships.
“I think it says a lot about Curt that he was willing to take less to come back here,” said Epstein. “It’s easy for a player to say it’s not about the money, but it’s hard to actually prove it. In Curt’s case, he put his money where his mouth was and really made a statement about what’s important to him right now. He deserves a lot of credit for that, and we benefit from that as an organization and our fans will benefit as well. It’s not too common in this day and age someone who can get guaranteed money was willing to take the risk associated with performance bonuses and other bonuses. He did a rare thing and we’re proud of him.”
Epstein said he is not allowed to get into specifics about the incentives included in Schilling’s contract, but it’s been reported that he has a $2 million weight clause, along with $3 million if he pitches a certain amount of inning and $1 if he receives a Cy Young vote.
“We’re not allowed to go into detail,” said the Sox GM, “but generally there were some incentives added to the contract as a method to bridge the gap between the guaranteed money we were willing to offer and what he was looking for. Curt recognizes the importance of reconditioning his body so he can get into the best possible shape and give his the best chance to stay healthy throughout the year. That’s something we certainly welcome.”
Epstein was quick to add that the veteran of four World Series appearances (three wins) was not in the best shape entering spring training last season, which led to Schilling going on the disabled list during the regular season (June 19 to Aug. 6) with tendinitis in his right shoulder.
“This should provide some incentive for him to work really hard this winter and get in great shape,” said Epstein. “Hopefully he can have a very solid season we can benefit from.”
With Schilling staying in Boston, it could mean some significant changes to the Sox’ rotation in 2008.
When asked during the regular season about the possibility of the Red Sox going to a six-man rotation – something Daisuke Matsuzaka was accustomed to in Japan and due to the organization’s pitching depth – manager Terry Francona pooh-poohed the notion. But, Epstein said on Tuesday there has been some discussion given the team’s pitching personnel to accept that concept.
“It’s premature to commit to any usage pattern” he said. “But certainly we’re in a little bit of a unique situation where you could say a number of our starters could benefit from something like that in one way or another.”
Epstein did say that if the club decides to go in that direction, that’s when a pitcher could go down with an injury in spring training then the Sox would be forced to find another player to fill that role. But, he did say that topic will likely be discussed in internal meetings prior to spring training.
“It’s an interesting concept given the personnel we have,” he said. “But it’s not something we’ve fully explored, yet.”
With such depth that obviously proved crucial for the club in 2007, Epstein said looking ahead to 2008 the club will be able to again structure the pitchers’ schedule to the team’s benefit, such as giving guys time off if needed, while effectively managing all the pitchers during the season will be a luxury.
“Given the age of our pitchers both on the very high end and on the low end, it’s important to have significant depth so you can make moves with that foresight rather than out of desperation. The importance of pitching depth we were always cognizance of, but the more we see just how dependant our season is on having effective, healthy pitchers the more we prioritize.”
If everyone is healthy come spring training, the Sox will have seven starting pitchers to fill the five-man rotation, including Josh Beckett, Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, Schilling, Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez.
Immediately following the club’s four-game sweep of the Rockies in the World Series on Oct. 28 in Denver, the Red Sox players said they wanted Schilling and free-agent third baseman Mike Lowell back with the team next season. Now that one of the two deals is complete, the players are quite happy with the situation.
“Curt Schilling is one of the most prepared pitchers in this game,” said Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis, who won a Gold Glove this past season. “We all know he’s not throwing 95 or 97 MPH like he used to, but the velocity doesn’t change how well he can go out there and perform and get guys out. His hard work and dedication to the game is huge and it’s a big deal to have Curt back on the team because he’s a born winner and you need guys on the field who want to win, and know how to win on a daily basis.”
One down. One to go.
Posted by Joe McDonald 
at 6:22 PM | Permalink
