Red Sox Eye Buehrle; Chi Sox Like Buchholz, Ellsbury

The Boston Red Sox have emerged as front runners to land Chicago starter Mark Buehrle. Boston is reportedly willing to sign him to a 5-year contract extension as part of the deal.

With Jon Lester just about ready to return to Boston, the sudden interest and Boston's surge to the front runner status on Buehrle could indicate that Curt Schilling maybe out for more the a start or two and a extension for Buehrle as part of the deal will likely end Schilling's stay in Boston after this season.

However what Chicago is looking at in return should take Boston away from the table as soon as Chicago places names on the table.

Among the players Chicago would like to see in return are Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury, the top pitching and position prospects in Boston's system.

But why should Boston give up so much to land a player who will be a free agent after this season? They shouldn't.

At least seven teams have made serious contact with Williams, with three actually having the resources to pry Buehrle from the White Sox. The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets were the leading contenders until this weekend, with the Boston Red Sox now becoming the front-runner.

While Williams wouldn't acknowledge that Saturday, he didn't have to. Allard Baird, the Red Sox' assistant to the general manager, was in town Friday to watch the White Sox' loss to the Cubs -- in which Buehrle started -- and reportedly was to be sent out on assignment only when things were about to get serious.

They're getting serious.

According to the source, the Red Sox not only want to keep Buehrle away from the New York Yankees and are willing to offer him a contract extension in the five-year range he is seeking, but they have a farm system loaded with players in whom the White Sox are interested.

Starting pitchers Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden are on the White Sox' radar, as well as speedy outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and shortstop Jed Lowrie.

Chicago's price would seem to be to steep for Boston, who walked away from the table with Atlanta last year after the Braves mentioned Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen, two lesser prospects for Andruw Jones who wasn't a pending free agent, it would seem doubtful Boston would give up its two best prospects for a pending free agent.

If Boston can finish the deal prior to the trade deadline they should ask for a window to negotiate with Buehrle before a deal is finalized and if they can lock him up long term then I could favor a deal including Wily Mo Pena, Coco Crisp, Brandon Moss or David Murphy and possibly some of the midlevel pitching prospects but not Ellsbury or Buchholz.

Chicago is said to be thinking of moving Jermaine Dye and they also have Darrin Erstad in their outfield, so adding one or two of the young Sox outfielders could be beneficial to Chicago, especially if they targeted a Buehrle for Pena and Moss deal which would give Chicago two guys with a lot of power potential. Crisp would give them a bargain price speedster who's bat has finally begun to come around.

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