Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

Tom Caron: A lot needed
as Sox enter winter talks

By TOM CARON

DALLAS — Baseball's winter meetings can be a flurry of hot-stove activity.

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Daniel Bard: Will he get the closer’s job? Be converted to a starter?

The Associated Press

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RED SOX NEEDS

• A closer, to replace Jonatahn Papelbon, unless Daniel Bard gets the job

• A right fielder, to replace J.D. Drew

• Pitching, of course, both starters and relievers

The Red Sox were very active last year, beginning the week at Disney with the trade that brought Adrian Gonzalez to town and ending it with a press conference welcoming Carl Crawford.

They weren't so busy the previous year in Indianapolis. In fact, the biggest acquisition for Boston that year was NESN adding Peter Gammons to its on-air stable.

Point is, there's no way to tell if a team is going to do much at this pre-holiday gathering of baseball executives, league officials and player representatives.

The Red Sox hit the Lone Star state with a whole new look. It's the first winter go-round for General Manager Ben Cherington. Their manager, Bobby Valentine, has been on the job just six days.

Because of last year's spending spree, there would seem to be little money available to spend here in Dallas.

While the Sox may not be the most active team in town, there are still several issues that must be dealt with before we get too deep into the off-season:

• There is the issue of compensation for Theo Epstein's departure to Chicago.

The Sox and Cubs agreed to let the move happen before a resolution was found, with the understanding that the compensation would be determined by the Commissioner's Office if the teams came to loggerheads.

There is no agreement yet, and one MLB official told me the matter is still "in the teams' hands."

• While the Sox will get something -- anything -- for Epstein, there are other holes that need to be filled.

J.D. Drew's expensive run in Boston is over, so the team needs a right fielder.

Michael Cuddyer and Carlos Beltran are two names that have been mentioned frequently, and both are still available.

• The team needs a closer. Could it be Daniel Bard?

Even if it is, the Sox need more help in the bullpen. Jonathan Papelbon, Heath Bell and Jonathan Broxton have all signed contracts elsewhere.

Ryan Madson is the best available closer on the market, but if you're giving the job to Bard, you don't need to spend that kind of money on a closer.

There are plenty of other free-agent relievers available, but once they start signing, a team can run out of options quickly.

Bard could also be converted to a starter for next season. In that case, the team would need someone it can bank on as a closer.

• The Sox need more starting pitching. Last year we were reminded once again that you never have enough pitching depth.

CJ Wilson will set the market here in the off-season, with Mark Buehrle behind him. Roy Oswalt could wind up being a very attractive veteran addition to someone's rotation.

• Besides the holes on the field, the Sox need to fill some coaching vacancies.

There are two openings at the moment, and Valentine may want to make other changes to his staff.

That could be the biggest news the Sox make in the days ahead.

It's about 10 degrees colder here in Texas than it is back in Boston. With the first day of meetings in the books, we are still waiting for things to heat up.

Tom Caron is the studio host for Red Sox broadcasts on the New England Sports Network. His column appears in The Press Herald on Tuesdays.