Winter Meetings Start Tomorrow

The four-day winter meetings begin Monday in Orlando, Florida, with the expected signing of free agent JD Drew and the possibile resolution of Manny Ramirez's whereabouts next spring being two big topics.

Has Theo Epstein asked for Padres ace Jake Peavy or 1B Adrian Gonzalez in his Ramirez chats? The Globe quotes Padres GM Kevin Towers as telling the San Diego Union Tribune:

[Expletive] no. God, I don't have enough time in the day to keep knocking this [manure] down. It's talk radio. It's crazy. Lunacy. Neither player has been offered in a trade, I can assure you that. I can honestly tell you, in my discussions with the Red Sox, they haven't brought them up, nor have we offered them.

I looked around the UT's Padres page, but couldn't find the quote. Last summer, Towers said he told Peavy that the pitcher would be in San Diego as long as Towers was the GM. The Herald's Michael Silverman reports: "By all accounts, the Red Sox' most fruitful talks have been with the Dodgers."

Earlier this week, Curt Schilling said he wants Ramirez to stay with the Red Sox, but

I think it's gotten to the point now where there's some thought that even though Manny might stay, he might not be here [mentally] if he does. And I think the belief is that trading Manny and bringing somebody in would be more valuable than having a Manny here that didn't play. I don't know that to be a fact. That is pure speculation on my part. ... I do know that I've spoken with Manny. Manny does want to be traded. Manny wants to play somewhere else.

Schilling also defended JD Drew against what Art Martone described as "a growing legion of fan and media critics who feel Drew is too injury-prone and/or passionless to succeed" in Boston.

All I know about this crap is that assorted mediots/radio windbags have picked up on the nickname Drew acquired while with the Dodgers: "Nancy". ... Get it? Nancy ... Drew! Like the young fictional mystery solver. JD has the same exact last name as she does, see, and he's hurt all the time and wimpy, just like a girl. So that's where the Nancy comes in ... Nancy Drew! Man, that's good. Haa haa haa chortle haa.

Hideki Okajima will wear #40:

My name is Hideki Okajima, and I like Boston. Call me Okaji, please, thank you.

Okajima says he and Daisuke Matsuzaka are acquaintances, but not "friend friends".

The Red Sox offered salary arbitration to Keith Foulke, but not to Trot Nixon (contrary to rumours), Doug Mirabelli, Mark Loretta or Gabe Kapler.