Ben Cherington Says Red Sox Unlikely to Sign Marquee Starter, Daniel Bard Could Still Move to Rotation

DALLAS –– The iPhone was inches away from Ben Cherington's left leg. As the Red Sox general manager spoke to reporters on Monday, it was clear he was active during his first day at the winter meetings.

Still, despite all the questions lingering around the pitching rotation, Cherington hinted there weren't plans to splurge on the marquee hurlers on the free agent market.

"Never say never, I think it's more likely we'll be pursuing other options,” Cherington said. "You want to stay involved to the extent that you have the latest information and keep your options open."

One of those options is maximizing Daniel Bard's talent. Bard has expressed suggestions for his role next season, but Cherington said that slotting him into the rotation is still a "conceivable" option.

But Bobby Valentine's expectations of Bard are much clearer. The manager conceded that he spoke with the reliever on Monday and came away believing the 26-year-old envisions himself in a rotation rather than the bullpen.

"I believe in his heart of hearts, he has a starter's dream out there and he wants to be a starter," Valentine said. "He believes he's better than a lot of guys who pitch a lot of innings in the American League and he could probably excel there."

The reliever hasn't started a game since 2007, when he pitched for the Lancaster JetHawks in the California League. But as Jonathan Papelbon's set-up man in 2011, Bard tossed 73 innings and racked up 74 strikeouts.

Those numbers –– and his potential –– has Valentine optimistic that Bard could solve some pitching questions moving forward.

"It's good talking to him because I got a good idea on his mindset," Valentine said. "Eventually, I think he’s going to be a starter, but I don’t think it'll be in 2012."