Pitcher Tim Wakefield is one of those veteran members of the club whose future is up in the air. The 45-year-old knuckleballer is a free agent this offseason, and his return to Boston isn't exactly certain. That said, Wakefield says he'd like to return to the team he's played with for the last 17 seasons.
"I have a strong desire to play one more year with the Red Sox," Wakefield said, according to The Boston Globe.
According to the Globe, Wakefield, who is in the Dominican Republic for fellow free agent David Ortiz's golf tournament, also spoke with new manager Bobby Valentine who visited Friday night.
That was all Wakefield had to say about Boston, though he did offer a quick thought on the prospect of leaving Boston to play elsewhere — perhaps in the National League.
"I haven’t weighed all my options yet," Wakefield offered, while also admitting that the NL could be something he does.
Wakefield's comments appear to echo those of his agent, Barry Meister, who told reporters at last month's general manager meetings that his client still wants to play.
"Tim's going to play again, absolutely," Meister said. "I hope it's with Boston and I've expressed that to them. I feel strongly that he can pitch and pitch effectively whether it's in a starter's role or in that hybrid role. I just think if he didn't pitch for the Boston Red Sox it would be a shame. If not, we've got a lot of teams that have called and we're entertaining their offers.
"He loves being a Red Sock and he loves being a baseball player."
Wakefield is coming off two of the worst seasons of his career. He was just 7-8 last season with a 5.12 ERA, one season after posting a 5.48 ERA in 2010.
