BOSTON -- Major League Baseball has cloaked the pursuit of Daisuke Matsuzaka in absolute secrecy, to the point where teams are forbidden to even disclose whether or not they placed a bid on the 26-year-old Japanese right-hander.

Numerous baseball sources, however, indicated yesterday that an ESPN.com report saying the Red Sox had tendered the highest offer -- between $38 million and $45 million -- for Matsuzaka was probably accurate, which means the Sox could soon be awarded exclusive negotiating rights to the highly regarded starting pitcher.

The Red Sox declined comment, and several industry sources said the team had not yet been informed it had won the bidding. Interested teams had to submit sealed bids to the commissioner's office by 5 p.m. Wednesday, and the winning bid was forwarded to Matsuzaka's Japanese team, the Seibu Lions. The Lions have until Tuesday to accept the offer. If they do, the winning team has 30 days to negotiate a contract with Matsuzaka and his agent, Scott Boras.

If the Lions reject the offer -- or if the winning team is unable to reach agreement on contract terms with Matsuzaka and Boras -- the right-hander will return to Seibu for the 2007 season. Because he doesn't have enough service time for free agency, and won't for two more years, Matsuzaka would need to go through the bidding process again next year to join a major-league team.

Matsuzaka, a potential ace, is regarded as perhaps the prize of a thin free-agent pitching market, and he appeals to the Sox for several reasons:

Whatever money the Sox offered in their bid to Seibu does not count toward the luxury tax, the threshold of which is now a payroll of $148 million.

By winning the bid, they would keep him away from the Yankees, who have pitching concerns of their own and were thought to be the clear favorites to put in the highest bid.

The Sox think they can recoup a lot of the money through international marketing in the Far East, such as the televising of Matsuzaka's starts in Japan via NESN.

There is little pitching available this winter. Jason Schmidt and Barry Zito are the best of a mediocre lot in free agency, and trading for a starter would carry an exorbitant price tag.

Sox interested in Drew

The Red Sox will inquire about J.D. Drew, who opted out of the last three years of his contract with the Dodgers this week to become a free agent.

General manager Theo Epstein has made three previous runs at the 31-year-old outfielder, the first in the offseason of 2003, when he placed Manny Ramirez on irrevocable waivers.

A left-handed hitter and a superb defensive right fielder, Drew is a career .286 hitter with a .393 on-base percentage and a .512 slugging percentage. He played the first six years of his career with the Cardinals, then spent one year with the Braves and the last two with the Dodgers. The Sox have an opening in right field now that Trot Nixon has filed for free agency.

Foulke drops contract option

In a mild surprise, Keith Foulke yesterday declined his contract option for 2007 and opted for free agency.

The Sox had declined the team option this week, but Foulke could have returned by exercising his side of the dual option. The Red Sox paid Foulke a $1.5 million buyout.

Foulke recorded 32 saves in 2004, but injuries have cut his performance dramatically.

Ramirez' 9th Silver Slugger

Manny Ramirez, who batted .321 with 35 homers and 102 RBI, earned his ninth Silver Slugger Award yesterday.

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran were among 13 first-time winners of the awards.

Named to the A.L. team with Ramirez and Jeter were Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, Chicago White Sox third baseman Joe Crede, outfielders Jermaine Dye of the White Sox and Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels, Twins catcher Joe Mauer and Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz.

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340