10:33 AM EST on Tuesday, November 23, 2004

The Red Sox suffered their first loss of the offseason yesterday when outfielder Gabe Kapler signed a one-year, $2 million contract with Japan's Yomiuri Giants.

"He spent the better part of a week really agonizing over the decision," Kapler's agent, Paul Cohen , said. "He really felt at this point in his career, he wanted the guarantee to play."

Kapler played in 136 games last season, many as a late-inning defensive replacement. (Manager Terry Francona was quoted several times as saying Kapler was the team's best defensive outfielders.) In 290 at-bats, he hit .272 with 6 home runs, 33 RBI, a .311 on-base percentage and a .390 slugging percentage. He had hit .281/.349/.449 in 158 at-bats for Boston in 2003, with 4 homers and 27 RBI, after joining the team in June.

Kapler's departure may mean more playing time for Dave Roberts , who figures to take Kapler's role as the Sox' fourth outfielder.

Pedro talking tough

In an exclusive interview with a newspaper in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Pedro Martinez made it clear he is ready to leave the Red Sox if they don't satisfy his free-agent contract demands.

"In reality, I will do the necessary thing. We will do it without favoritism and we will do it well," he said. "I want respect, affection and the best possible treatment. I am not requesting anything that Pedro Martinez does not deserve. The people do not understand that when you enter free agency, you can go to the highest bidder."

About a week after the World Series, the Red Sox made a two-year, $25 million contract offer with an option for a third year. There were published reports in Boston and New York that the Sox either guaranteed the third year, or restructured the offer so that the third year was virtually guaranteed, after Martinez met with Yankee owner George Steinbrenner last week in Tampa.

Yankee officials have denied reports that they have offered, or are about to offer, a four-year, $50 million deal to Martinez.

Martinez said his meeting with the Yankees went well.

"The reception with Steinbrenner was huge. The Yankees have a lot of respect for me," Pedro said. He added that Derek Jeter "stopped to greet me . . . in a very pleasant way."

Martinez said leaving Boston, if it comes to that, "will not weigh on my conscience."

"I know the respect that I deserve and the value that I have," he said.

The price of victory

The Red Sox will raise their ticket prices by an average of 7 percent for next year, the team announced yesterday.

Most box seats will go up by $10 for 2005, with standing room going up from $18 to $20. More seats have been shifted into the upper bleacher category, lowering their price from $20 to $12.

The team said 57 percent of the ticket prices will remain the same or go up by $1.

"We will invest that revenue to assemble a winning team worthy of our fans' support, and to maintain one of Major League Baseball's highest payrolls," team president Larry Lucchino said. "We are committed to being aggressive in defense of our World Series title."

Despite playing in baseball's oldest and smallest ballpark and charging the highest average ticket prices in the nation, the Red Sox sold every available seat last season and set an attendance record for the fifth consecutive year.

Work in progress

The Sox are expected to announce today their plans for offseason improvements to Fenway Park, which are intended to help ease crowding. Concourses will be widened, concession stands added and a public restaurant will be open year-round.

The team has already torn out the playing field so the drainage can be improved. The clubhouse and training facilities are also being upgraded.

The team plans to add about 1,000 seats for 2006.

In the minors

In other moves the team made the following moves:

Al Nipper was named minor league pitching coordinator.

Goose Gregson was named Latin American pitching coordinator and pitching coach for the Red Sox of the Gulf Coast League.

Todd Claus was named manager and Masai Takahashi trainer for Portland of the Eeastern League.

Dann Bilardello was named manager, Ace Adams pitching coach and Lee Slagle manager for Wilminton of the Carolina League.

Bob Kipper was named pitching coach and Randy Phillips hitting coach for Capital City of the South Atlantic League.

Walter Miranda was named pitching coach and Alan Mauthe hitting coach for Lowell of the New York-Penn League.

Maria Ronda was named Latin employee assistance consultant and Gary Crites substance abuse consultant.