Drew, BoSox reach agreement on $70 million, 5-year contract
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Boston Red Sox brought in outfielder J.D. Drew to protect Manny Ramirez in the lineup.
Now they just have to decide whether to keep Ramirez where he is.
The Red Sox reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday with Drew on a contract that could bring him $70 million over the next five years. Although Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein stressed that Drew has not yet taken a physical, he told reporters that Drew is earmarked for the No. 5 spot in the batting order behind David Ortiz and Ramirez.
"With David and Manny, if they want to walk those guys, we want them to pay a steep price," manager Terry Francona said.
Later Tuesday, the Red Sox reached a $36 million, four-year agreement with shortstop Julio Lugo that was also pending a physical. Details of the agreement were provided to the Associated Press by a person involved in the negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not final.
|
|
| J.D. Drew will receive $14 million annually from the Red Sox. (Getty Images) |
"For a long time, we've talked about having a center fielder in right field," he said. "J.D. Drew's a really good defensive player. Having him in right will help our outfield defense. In one player, we could address two areas of weakness."
Agent Scott Boras compared Drew on defense to former Red Sox right fielder Dwight Evans.
"He can play an Evans-type right field or he can play a quality center field. I think the fans in Boston are really going to appreciate his style of play, as the fans in L.A. did," Boras said. "We think J.D. has a chance to be very successful in Boston."
The contract calls for annual salaries of $14 million, but how much Drew actually makes in the fifth year depends on how many games he plays before then. If he can't meet set levels of games played, some of the final $14 million would be deferred well into the future.
Drew's physical was not expected to take place before the winter meetings end on Thursday.
The 31-year-old Drew has had injuries throughout his career, but he played in 146 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season and hit .283 with 20 homers and a team-high 100 RBI. He became a free agent when he opted out of the last three years of his five-year, $55 million.
The injuries have added to negative perceptions that have followed Drew since the Philadelphia Phillies selected him No. 2 overall in the 1997 amateur draft. He did not sign, went back into the draft and was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals fifth overall the next year.
