Gonzalez's agent set for Boston visit

FT. MYERS, Fla.

The agent for new Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is due to visit the team’s camp next week, at which point negotiations on a long-term contract could resume.

John Boggs stressed during a Monday interview with FOXSports.com that his trip shouldn’t be construed as a sign that a contract extension is imminent. Boggs said it’s possible that he will simply touch base with Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, before resuming contract talks at a later date.

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Without an extension, Gonzalez, 28, would become a free agent at the end of this season. When asked on Monday afternoon about the status of his contract talks, Gonzalez shrugged and said, “We’ll see what happens.”

“Adrian wants to be a Boston Red Sox for the long term, and I would anticipate that’s going to happen,” Boggs said. “All along, we planned to (restart talks) once he demonstrated that he’s healthy (after offseason shoulder surgery). And he’s in the lineup now. At this point, he’s ahead of schedule.

“It’s a possibility that we’ll resume talks next week, but this isn’t something where we have an immediate timeline as a goal.”

The sides attempted to reach agreement on a deal in December, when the Red Sox and San Diego Padres were in the midst of trade discussions. The Red Sox couldn’t finalize a deal with Gonzalez but parted with three elite prospects to complete the trade, anyway.

Boggs indicated that a deal is more likely to come after Opening Day than before it. Some in the industry believe that is because the Red Sox are trying to circumvent the luxury-tax implications that would accompany any agreement reached before the regular season begins.

But it’s equally plausible that the Red Sox would like to see Gonzalez play on an everyday basis before committing a sum that could be in the nine figures. He made his spring debut over the weekend but said Monday that he may not play on consecutive days until after the regular season gets underway.

For Gonzalez, maintaining strength in the surgically repaired right shoulder will be an essential requirement to reach his stated goal of playing all 162 games. It seems reasonable that Red Sox officials would want to see that he can do that in April before awarding him with the new contract.

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“We don’t have a term sheet signed,” Boggs said. "There’s nothing agreed to right now. But I fully expect we’ll start moving in a positive direction again in the near future.

“There is a mutual understanding of where our bottom line is. We’re going to try to pick up where we left off in December.”

Boggs said Gonzalez assured the team he wouldn’t change his asking price after December, regardless of what transpired with the contractual status of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder.

Pujols and Fielder, the fellow superstar first basemen, are also eligible for free agency at the end of this season; neither is expected to sign a contract extension with his respective club anytime soon.

And as long as Gonzalez remains unsigned, there is a chance — however small — that a deal won’t happen at all.

“Adrian Gonzalez is going to be a big asset for any team he will be with in the future,” Boggs said. “We obviously hope that’s going to be the Red Sox. That’s where he wants to play.”