Byrd might accept. He made $7.5 mil last year and could expect a slight raise in arbitration. He’ll be 38 years old soon, so no team will go more than 2 years for him. A max I could see any team giving him is like 2/$16. So unless he wants to risk the down market, he’ll probably just take the 8 or 9 mil for next year for the Sox.

Tek is in a similar situation. I can’t see anybody giving him a long term deal for big money, so 1 year at $10mil is probably as good as he’ll do.

That maybe Boras’ “Varitek = Posada” bluster was just there to swindle the Sox into offering arbitration.

I’m worried he’ll accept, but I don’t know if Boras wants to admit that this is the best ’Tek could do…