Shall We Dance? Ross and Sox Enter New Phase of Negotiations
As the clock struck midnight and moved into the wee hours of Saturday morning, Cody Ross and the Boston Red Sox entered a new and more uncertain phase in their off season contract negotiations – that is to say that Sox management never made a serious move.
Ross. Coming or going? Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE
According to Ross, the two parties were not close during Boston’s exclusive negotiating period. Now Ross says his agent, Mike Milchin, is receiving calls from “multiple teams” inquiring about Boston’s 31 year-old right fielder.
“They had a ton of opportunities. We talked about this back in July and we couldn’t work anything out up until the deadline. Now it only makes sense to listen to other teams. But obviously we’re going to talk (with the Red Sox),” Ross told WEEI’s Rob Bradford.
Ross had a solid 2012 season – a slash line of .267/.326/.481/.807 – and a .995 fielding percentage, although there were times when watching him get turned around on a ball was a bit of a circus. If Ross is signed by another team, what awaits Boston in the free agent market is a surprising mixture of what are sure to be high-priced prima donnas (Curtis Granderson, Josh Hamilton), burned out retreads (Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui and a list too long to mention) and arrogant or troubled problem children (Nick Swisher, Melky Cabrera, Marlon Byrd). There are some diamonds in the rough and solid players, which BSI writers will cover in an upcoming post later this month.
"Still, Ross is as good a fit as any for Boston, a player who’s situation should have been addressed earlier and who will now command a higher price tag as teams who recognize his value start driving his price tag up, especially since Boston by dropping their exclusivity rights freed Ross from being paired with a draft pick."
So where does Ross really stand on his free agents proceedings? His closing remarks his interview with Bradford are telling. Ross said, “They had a chance to trade me at the deadline and get something decent in return, and didn’t trade me in hopes of re-signing me. It just hasn’t happened. Now, there are quite a few other teams involved and we have a chance to play out the process. But everybody knows how much I love Boston.”
Trying so hard to keep up with the Joneses
Running a rat racing won by our noses
Always put one foot in front of the other
And dance to the beat of the dacadent drummer
– Decadence Dance, Extreme