Red Sox Blink and Miss Out

Is it really conceivable now that after almost two months of an on-again, off-again story line, the plot of this complex and high-finance baseball soap has gone nowhere?

Time will tell, skeptics were saying Tuesday, but the cold reality seemed to be that a potentially historic trade was finally in need of a coroner.

In a strange and potentially final twist, working against a deadline imposed by Texas Ranger owner Tom Hicks, sources familiar with the situation said the Boston Red Sox suddenly blinked.

The result? The Red Sox failed to take advantage of the fact that the Rangers had removed a major financial impediment at the 11th hour.

In the process, the Red Sox seemed to have forfeited what may have been the last chance to acquire shortstop Alex Rodriguez for outfielder Manny Ramirez.

With holiday shopping in mind, Hicks enforced his mid-afternoon deadline and said in a statement it was "time for the Rangers to look forward to the 2004 season with Alex Rodriguez as our shortstop and leader."

Is that it for sure?

Said Scott Boras, who represents Rodriguez: "Tom Hicks has indicated he will not consider a trade [involving Rodriguez] in the immediate future. I take that to mean Alex will be back with the Rangers next season.

"There was nothing more he or Tom Hicks could have done [to facilitate the trade with Boston]."

Boras refused to discuss specifics.

However, sources said he was clearly referring to two aspects of the negotiations:

* Trying to make it easier on the Red Sox, Rodriguez had already agreed to move $13 million of the $179 million remaining on his contract, the maximum allowed by the players' union under the bargaining agreement.

* The Rangers, attempting to get out from under the Rodriguez contract in a last-ditch compromise, agreed to drop their demand that the Red Sox contribute to the $97.5 million remaining on Ramirez' contract. Texas initially asked for $25 million, or $5 million a year for five years. That was lowered to $15 million, then dropped to zero on Tuesday, sources said.

In other words, satisfied with the $81.5 million they would be saving through the exchange of contracts, the Rangers agreed to a simple trade of Rodriguez for Ramirez and pitching prospect Jon Lester, who was agreeable to the Red Sox.

Still, Boston balked, and there was no explanation.