BOSTON -- In their seemingly endless search to land another front-line starting pitcher to team with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, the Red Sox last night were halfway home, having agreed on a four-player package in exchange for Arizona Diamondbacks ace Curt Schilling, though still needing to get him to agree to a contract extension before sealing the deal.
According to baseball sources, the Red Sox would send pitchers Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, Jorge de la Rosa and outfield prospect Michael Goss to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Schilling.
The trade is not part of a three-way deal, as first speculated yesterday, involving the Milwaukee Brewers. However, the Diamondbacks might then use some of the young pitching they receive from the Red Sox in exchange for Brewers first baseman Richie Sexson. Sexson is set to make $7 million next season, but before the D'backs can acquire him, they must first move Schilling, 37, who has one year remaining on a multi-year deal which will pay him $12 million -- with about half of it deferred -- in 2004.
Baseball sources confirmed that the Diamondbacks granted the Sox a 72-hour window to negotiate an extension for Schilling, who is looking for two more years. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Sox have been given until Friday afternoon to reach agreement with the pitcher.
"I won't leave here without an extension," Schilling said. "I'm reading that I'm demanding three years. I've never demanded anything from anybody, but I will get a contract extension before I leave Arizona."
Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino was set to fly to Arizona this morning to personally negotiate a contract with Schilling. A person who spoke yesterday with Rhonda Schilling, Schilling's wife, said she was enthusiastic about the prospect of her husband finishing his career with the Red Sox, where it began.
Schilling's asking price is thought to be somewhere between the $12 million he's set to make next year and the $16 million current teammate Randy Johnson will earn over each of the next two seasons, meaning a two-year deal would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $28-30 million.
In recent weeks, Schilling has said he would only waive his no-trade clause for deals that would send him to the New York Yankees or Philadelphia Phillies, adding that Fenway Park would not be a good landing spot for him.
But sources indicated yesterday that the Sox were given an indication that Schilling would be willing to come to Boston if an agreement on a new contact can be reached.
"There's bait to all three of them, and challenges to all three of them," Schilling said. "I'd say the chances are highly unlikely that I will be here (in Arizona). But who knows?"
Landing Schilling might mean the Sox would have to shed additional salary, making outfielders Johnny Damon ($8 million next season) or Trot Nixon (arbitration eligible) available to help balance the budget.
The Sox had unofficially budgeted an increase of $10 million beyond their arbitration commitments, a figure which would be more than wiped out by Schilling's $12 million salary for 2004.
But Schilling would give the Sox a third front-of-the-rotation starter and give them a clear-cut edge -- for now, at least -- over the Yankees in the pitching department.
The Yanks, too, have an interest in Schilling and there were indications last night that the Yankees were attempting to dissuade the pitcher from negotiating further with the rival Red Sox. The Yankees must still re-sign Andy Pettitte and are losing Roger Clemens, who has retired.
Schilling's career began with the Red Sox, who drafted him in the second-round of the 1986 draft, then packaged him with outfielder Brady Anderson to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for veteran pitcher Mike Boddicker.
Schilling later was dealt to Houston, Philadelphia and Arizona. Schilling has won in double figures seven times and twice won 20 games for the Diamondbacks. He won 22 games in 2001 and started three World Series games when Arizona beat the Yankees for the championship.
Schilling said the Red Sox would make things more tempting if they hire his former manager in Philadelphia, Terry Francona, the clear frontrunner for the Red Sox' managerial vacancy. Francona managed Schilling for almost four years. Francona is one of four people to have interviewed for the Red Sox job; the Red Sox interviewed Texas coach DeMarlo Hale yesterday and hope to have a decision by the winter meetings Dec. 12.
"I have made it known that he would be a reason I'd be interested in going to Boston," Schilling said of Francona. "I only said that because it was my understanding that he was a slam-dunk for the job anyway. I love the guy. He's a great manager."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
