David Wells

[Xero]

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Boston Red Sox might try to defend their World Series with an even wackier bunch than the self-proclaimed "bunch of idiots" that ended the franchise's 86-year dynasty of disappointment.

 

 

The Red Sox have come to terms with 41-year-old left-hander David Wells. The deal guarantees $8 million for one year, but if he makes 31 starts he would be guaranteed $13 million. The two-year contract could be worth $16 to $18 million.

 

 

David Wells

Starting Pitcher

San Diego Padres 

Profile

 

 

2004 SEASON STATISTICS

GM W L Sv K ERA

31 12 8 0 101 3.73

 

 

 

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Wells would receive a $3 million signing bonus and have a base salary of $2.5 million in 2005 and 2006, The Boston Globe reported. He also would have the opportunity to earn an additional $5 million in performance bonuses in each year of the contract. The deal will not be official until Wells passes a physical, reportedly scheduled for Tuesday.

 

 

The deal is structured to give Boston 2005 wiggle room to try to sign shortstop Edgar Renteria, another target of the Red Sox, ESPN's Peter Gammons is reporting.

 

 

Wells also contacted the New York Yankees on Thursday about returning to New York, general manager Brian Cashman said.

 

 

San Diego offered Wells salary arbitration this week after failing to close the gap in negotiations over a contract extension. Wells has said that he wants to return to his hometown Padres, but he wants a guaranteed contract instead of one loaded with incentives like the deal he signed as a free agent last winter.

 

 

Wells was 12-8 with a 3.73 ERA last season, when he earned $1.25 million in base pay and another $4.75 million in incentives by making 31 starts. He could have made $1 million more if he hadn't missed three weeks after a fluke household injury.

 

 

Wells could replace Pedro Martinez or join him in a rotation behind ace Curt Schilling. The Red Sox have offered Martinez a two-year deal with options that could make it worth more than $38.5 million over three years.

 

 

Boston has also pursued free agent Carl Pavano, who was 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA for Florida last season. The Red Sox are not expected to re-sign Derek Lowe, a former 20-game winner who struggled last year before pitching in the clinching games of all three playoff rounds as Boston won the World Series for the first time since 1918.

 

 

It remained unclear whether the Sox would continue to pursue Pavano if they committed $7 million next season to Wells and nearly $13 million to Martinez.

 

 

To end the drought, the Red Sox turned the clubhouse over to free spirits like Johnny Damon, David Ortiz and Kevin Millar -- an unshaven and unkempt bunch that foiled the strait-laced Yankees and won an unprecedented eight consecutive games after spotting New York a three-game lead in the AL championship series.

 

 

Wells would fit right in.

 

 

The boisterous lefty missed three starts in late May and early June -- costing himself $1 million in incentives -- after tripping over a bar stool at home, knocking a bottle of wine onto the floor and landing on it and a glass he was holding. He severed a tendon in his right wrist, requiring surgery, and cut his left palm.

 

 

Wells had back surgery before signing with the Padres last year. He has also been involved in several off-field incidents that make him a natural fit for Boston's frat house atmosphere.

 

 

In January 1997, while in San Diego for his mother's funeral, Wells got into a street fight outside a bar and broke his pitching hand. In 2002, he was punched in the face by a man during an early morning altercation in a New York diner and lost two teeth.

 

 

In '03, Wells wrote a book titled: "Perfect I'm Not! Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches and Baseball." Besides detailing how he grew up in the middle of a Hells Angels gang in a gritty San Diego neighborhood, he contended that he was "half drunk" when he pitched a perfect game in 1998 for the Yankees after partying until just a few hours before the game.

 

 

When general manager Theo Epstein was asked about Wells and his occasional history of "rocking the boat," the GM told The Globe sarcastically, "We don't have any guys like that."

 

 

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[Winning Ugly]

BOOOOOO BOOMER!!! I can't believe he left. Oh, well...we'll take the draft pick.

I was hoping that the Pads would then turn around and try to bring Clement back, especially since he sees that his good friend and former rotation buddy in SD Woody re-signed.

 

Now I hear they are trying to deal for Kevin Brown again, with the Yanks expected to pick up a huge portion of his salary.

 

Ugh!

[Steff]

Now I hear they are trying to deal for Kevin Brown again, with the Yanks expected to pick up a huge portion of his salary.

I lol at the thought of the Yanks having to pay Brown's salary..