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Lol @ JDL Drew
enjoy him Danny..
The Red Sox [team stats] continued to make noise yesterday, which makes their silence all the more curious. And when it comes to outfielder J.D. Drew [stats], the Red Sox are saying decidedly little.
The reason?
There appears to have been a problem with the player’s physical exam.
While Sox officials and Drew’s agent, Scott Boras, have been playing word games, indications are that Drew’s recent physical with the team has raised a red flag. For example, the Sox still have not announced Drew’s signing despite the fact that nearly two weeks have passed since Boras stood in a Florida hotel lobby and announced that the team and his client had agreed on a five-year, $70 million contract. [Blocked Ads]
The precise hang-up is unclear. Drew has had a series of ailments and injuries during his career, from a broken wrist to a bad knee to a sore shoulder. Trying to pinpoint one problematic area is virtually impossible. Mention Drew’s health to anyone connected with the Sox these days and you get responses that are straight out of the Dan Duquette era.
For instance:
Is there a reason the Drew deal has not been announced?
We’re working on language issues in the contract.
So he passed the physical?
We’re working on language issues in the contract.
Of course, in a contract, “language issues” are critical. The wording means everything. And depending on what precise physical problem the Sox have stumbled upon, the likelihood is that the sides are “working on language” to give the Sox some recourse if and when the problem becomes serious.
Does that mean the Red Sox are backing out of this deal?
No.
It just means they are probably in the process of protecting themselves.
Boras, for what it’s worth, has been through this sort of thing in the past. Three years ago, when catcher Ivan Rodriguez was a free agent, teams balked at offering him guaranteed money because of his history of recurring back problems. Rodriguez subsequently signed a four-year, $40 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, but there was a caveat: If Rodriguez had an injury to a specific area of his back that landed him on the disabled list for a minimum of 35 days, the Tigers could void the final two years and pay a “termination fee” of $5 million.
Boras ultimately got the right to say he signed his player to a four-year deal. The Tigers got protection in the event Rodriguez broke down.
Oddly, this is not the first time the Rodriguez contract has applied to discussions between the Red Sox and one of their players. When Jason Varitek was a free agent following the 2004 season, the Sox wanted a deal similar to the one Rodriguez signed, allowing the club an out if Varitek broke down. At the time, Sox officials were worried about guaranteeing four years to a catcher approaching his mid-30s.
In the end, Boras resisted and the Sox secured Varitek to a four-year, $40 million deal that is essentially the same as Rodriguez’, minus the escape clause. [continue]
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