Red Sox not actively negotiating with Stephen Drew

From Alex Speier, the Red Sox beat reporter at WEEI.com:

According to multiple industry sources, with the Red Sox on the verge of starting spring training games, the team has not been engaged in substantive talks since the opening of camp with shortstop Stephen Drew. The team has not ruled out categorically the possibility of re-signing the shortstop, but it views such a scenario as unlikely at this time — in the same way, for instance, that team officials imagined hypothetical scenarios where they became engaged on a free agent such as Ubaldo Jimenez if his market absolutely cratered.

Jimenez was tied to draft pick compensation, like Drew, but wound up landing a four-year, $50 million free agent contract last week from the Orioles. That kind of deal isn’t coming for Drew, who may wait until after the June draft to re-explore the market. The Red Sox don’t have to forfeit a draft pick to bring him back, but they seem content with Will Middlebrooks at third base and top prospect Xander Bogaerts at shortstop.

Drew, 30, hit .253/.333/.443 with 13 homers and 67 RBI in 124 games last year for the World Series champs. He was critical of MLB’s draft pick compensation system last week, telling CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, “Our union has been really good. But I think we really have to look at this. Is this really good for free agency?”

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