Red Sox Continue Pursuit of Rodriguez

In a scenario that could ultimately bring Nomar Garciaparra to the Dodgers or Angels, the Boston Red Sox continued their pursuit of Alex Rodriguez on Monday during a private Florida meeting between John Henry, the club’s principal owner, and Scott Boras, who represents Rodriguez.

Neither Boras nor Henry could be reached for comment, but industry sources confirmed that Henry and Boras had discussed ways to possibly bridge the financial complexities of a trade in which the Red Sox would acquire Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers for Manny Ramirez. The Rangers are asking the Red Sox to pick up all of the remaining $180 million on Rodriguez’s $252-million contract while also helping defray some of the $100 million still owed Ramirez.

“It’s a complicated process that’s ongoing,” a person familiar with the talks between Henry and Boras said. “It’s difficult to predict the pace at which this will play out.”

Texas General Manager John Hart, citing the difficulty in moving forward amid the uncertainty, has said he wants a decision to be reached by the end of baseball’s winter meetings, which start in New Orleans on Friday and end Monday.

Although baseball rules prevent clubs from discussing business with a player under contract to another team, Commissioner Bud Selig has provided Henry with a window to meet with Boras and his client in an effort to consummate a trade that Selig believes would benefit baseball, according to sources.

Boston’s acquisition of Rodriguez, arguably baseball’s best player, would further enhance the global rivalry between the Red Sox and New York Yankees, the sources said, while providing the New England Sports Network, the club’s TV arm, with a marquee attraction.

“That’s no knock at Nomar,” one source said, “but he doesn’t have A-Rod’s magnetism. You’d be replacing one of baseball’s best shortstops with baseball’s best player.”

Whether the contract complexities can be surmounted is uncertain.

It is thought that the Red Sox, if they are also to satisfy the Rangers’ desire that they pick up some of Ramirez’s contract, would like Rodriguez to restructure his contract.

However, a source said, the players’ union will not approve any restructuring that lowers the contract’s overall value.

“There’s a sense that the Red Sox and Boras both feel they can find a way to get this done,” a source said. “I don’t think the club would have gone this far down the line if it didn’t feel confident.”

The Rodriguez pursuit has left Garciaparra in limbo. Agent Arn Tellem has compared it to a “slap in the face,” and his client interrupted the last day of his Hawaiian honeymoon Monday to call several Boston-area media outlets and reiterate that he still desires to end his career with the Red Sox.

That, of course, won’t happen if the Red Sox acquire Rodriguez.

At what point in the process the Red Sox will seek to close a deal for Garciaparra isn’t certain. However, sources said the Dodgers would not necessarily insist on a contract extension as a trade prerequisite, nor would the Angels’ imminent signing of free-agent pitcher Bartolo Colon deter them from pursuing Garciaparra.