I agree. This is the absolutely right decision. Schilling is getting older by the minute and has had a recent history of injury.

If he's great in 2007 and pitches pain free, then the Red Sox shoul dmaybe try to bring him back via free agency.

But if 2007 is injury riddled or his production drops off, both very likely possbilities, then the Sox would feel really dumb for having Schilling locked up to a long term deal.

Both of you are nuts, expect Schilling to win 16-18 wins and he will say sayanora to the Sox because they think they will be able to sign him to a 13-14 million extension. Schilling has not been about the money before, but I think he will look at this as a slap in the face and there will not be a home town discount which by the way is what he offered (How much is Meche getting?). As for his recent injury problems, well one came when he was a batter (hmm, don't see him swinging the bat), and the other was due to the bloody sock incident in the playoffs. This is Bronson Arroyo in reverse.

I gotta agree with Wayne on a couple of counts. In a world where Ted Lilly and Gil Meche are $10 million pitchers, even if he's not amazing, how is he not a $13 million pitcher for a year. Yet they'll commit $100 million who has throw as many pitches in the US as I have.

He wore down at the end last year, but the whole team did and he still had a good season. A little better management of him by Francona, who gives him much too long of a leash, and he'd be fine.

I'm saying this as a Yankees fan too. Hopefully THEY don't sign them, because I can't stand the guy. I'm hoping NL. (For anyone who wants to say he said he'd never sign with the Bombers, when he got traded from Philly and from AZ, both times he listed the Yanks as a team. I refuse to beleive he'd not take their money.)

Yet they'll commit $100 million who has throw as many pitches in the US as I have.

Because Matsuzaka is 26 and Schilling is 40? Dunno, maybe that's relevant....

If Shilling takes offense at that distinction, Boston probably is better off not negotiating a contract with someone who's self-evaluation is so far off what any objective observer would conclude about his likely value going forward.

Also: the Yankees are welcome to throw multi-tens-of-millions-of-dollars contracts at as many 40+ year old starting pitchers as pleases them to do so. I have no fear of losing Shilling at this years age-plus-one to New York.

Also, keep in mind that if Schilling has a good year (or a bad year even) and some other team signs him the Red Sox get two draft picks.

The point isn't the Red Sox are willing to pay that much for a 26 year old. It's that they'll claim to have 37 aces, give extensions to Beckett and pay through the nose for Matsuzaka, yet one guy who has actually been their ace gets a "courtesy meeting" that didn't take very long. Really? I know the Red Sox are unsentimental about players, but we're not talking about Derek Lowe who was questionable effective, we're talking someone who actually has pitched up to his reputation (something the Yankees can't claim from similar player acquisitions of late).

Barring a career ending injury (and after 04, what injury will shelf him) he's going to get one year at $13 million with a bad year. The Red Sox are foolish to let him declare free agency. But hey, I hear there may be some guy who's 26, has had limited success in the majors (probably NL) and only needs $10m a year. Those are the guys to throw the cash at.