Finding a general manager and taking care of positional needs and issues are Boston's main issues as baseball's winter meetings approach.

01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, November 29, 2005

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- The winter meetings, baseball's annual swap meet, begin in less than a week and the Red Sox still are without a general manager to lead them at the meetings.

But finding a general manager to replace Theo Epstein is far from the only thing on the Red Sox' "To Do" list. Even after the blockbuster trade that netted them Josh Beckett, the Sox have positional needs and issues with which to deal.

A look at a handful of them as the Hot Stove heats up.

BULLPEN: Yesterday's signing of Billy Wagner by the New York Mets leaves the market suddenly stripped bare of closers.

The Sox had targeted two closers among the free agents -- lefties Wagner and B.J. Ryan, who signed a five-year, $47-million deal with Toronto -- in the hope of giving themselves some insurance against Keith Foulke.

Foulke must rebound from two knee surgeries, a poor season and withered confidence, and Wagner or Ryan would have provided a top-notch alternative, though it's worth noting that the deals signed by both likely wouldn't have been matched by the Red Sox.

After all, the Sox have Craig Hansen no more than two years away from closing at the big-league level, and committing to four-year (or longer) big-ticket contracts would have blocked Hansen's way.

Still, the Sox want additional depth to go with the returningsMike Timlinsand newly acquired Guillermo Mota, the latter of whom was included in the Florida

deal when the Red Sox grew concerned after more closely examining Beckett's right shoulder.

Tom Gordon and Kyle Farnsworth interest the Sox, both as a hedge against Foulke's return to form and as other late-inning set-up options.

FRONT OFFICE: It now seems highly unlikely that the Sox will have a permanent GM in place before Monday, when the winter meetings kick off in Dallas.

Instead, the Sox will continue to operate by committee, with senior advisers Bill Lajoie and Jeremy Kapstein, assisted by Jed Hoyer, Craig Shipley and Ben Cherington.

In fact, it's not inconceivable that the Sox could go the rest of the winter -- and perhaps into the season -- without a GM. Of the candidates interviewed, Jim Beattie impressed CEO Larry Lucchino, but others in upper management were less impressed.

With no new candidates scheduled to be interviewed, the status quo will prevail. The current set-up didn't preclude the Sox from making the complex deal for Beckett, and agents say they have been able to communicate with the front office without fear of confusion.

MANNY RAMIREZ: Incredibly, the Mets, having already added $76 million in contracts for Carlos Delgado and Wagner, still are interested in Ramirez. But two of the players dealt to Florida (first baseman Mike Jacobs and pitcher Yusmeiro Petit) would have been sought by the Red Sox in any trade for Ramirez.

Gone, too, in a previous trade is outfielder Mike Cameron.

Outfield prospect Lastings Millidge still interests the Sox, as does pitcher Aaron Heilman. But they're not enough to pry Ramirez loose, since the Sox continue to maintain that the enigmatic slugger won't be given away.

Mets GM Omar Minaya can talk all he wants about pursuing Ramirez. But he may no longer have enough to satisfy the Red Sox.

It's more likely that the Sox could find a trading partner in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who might be persuaded to deal one of two first basemen (Darin Erstad or Casey Kotchman) and have some young pitching that interests the Sox.

Ramirez has told others that he would prefer to play out West.

JOHNNY DAMON: The Red Sox have yet to hear back from Scott Boras on their initial offer to Damon, a proposal that was predictably low, as are many first offers.

Damon's clear preference is to remain with the Red Sox, but Boras is intent on driving up the asking price and drawing out negotiations until at least the winter meetings.

Yesterday, some in the Red Sox' organization were fretting that the Yankees, having been eclipsed by the crosstown Mets, might jump into the bidding for Damon, even as the Yankees continue to talk to free-agent outfielder Brian Giles.

Another possible destination for Damon is Detroit, which trains near his Orlando home and has been a safe landing spot for other Boras clients in recent seasons.