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Boston Red Sox: Pedro Martinez has spent the off-season so far in quite contemplation of his baseball future. He has one year remaining on his seven-year Red Sox contract and seems to be a man who wants to stay in Boston. He seems to have a realistic view of his value in the current market. "I have to understand that if I'm not putting up the same numbers I put up from 1997 to 2000, I'll probably get a little decrease in salary," he told Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe. "But it's still good money, so I'll just settle for whatever the market has to offer and enjoy the game."

Minnesota Twins: The Twins are in a rather complicated situation regarding their payroll. They have seven players under contract for 2004 who are eating up 70 percent of their budget. Then, they have five players eligible for arbitration and three more key men (Eddie Guardado, LaTroy Hawkins and Shannon Stewart) who have become free agents that they'd like to get back. La Velle E Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune tries to sort out how general manager Terry Ryan is going to make the seemingly impossible happen. Given the parameters involved, it seems likely that at least one or two Twins favorites will not be returning next year.

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