Early Bits From Winter Meetings

Nick Cafardo reports that a Brewers official said

the Red Sox have made an inquiry on embattled former closer Derrick Turnbow, who after making the National League All-Star team came unglued in July, when he was 1 for 5 in save chances and had a 21.32 ERA and lost his closer job.

Turnbow ended last year with a 6.87 ERA and an ERA+ of 65 (quite a drop from 1.74, 243 in 2005). He turns 29 in January.

Gordon Edes on Julio Lugo:

The Mets like him as a second baseman, the Cubs considered him as a center fielder, and the Dodgers offered him salary arbitration, but indications are Lugo would prefer to play short and bat leadoff for the Sox.

Michael Silverman says that Keith Foulke's agent, Dan Horwitz, says that Foulke has had "very positive" conversations with teammates, front-office personnel and medical staff about returning to the Sox. The team is also keeping tabs on Octavio Dotel, another Horwitz client.

The Daisuke Matsuzaka signing deadline is midnight on December 15, a week from this Thursday. Matsuzaka is expected back in the US this weekend, which can't be a bad thing.

P.S. The weekend came and went and Manny Ramirez is still a Red Sock. So much for those rumours.