Red Sox' offers are on the table: Saberhagen gets minor league deal By Larry Whiteside, Globe Staff, 12/10/96 The Red Sox have made their pitches to free agents Roger Clemens and Tim Naehring, but it remains to be seen whether they have come up with enough. According to general manager Dan Duquette, Clemens has been offered a four-year deal, in compliance with his wish to finish his career in Boston. The Sox also say they have proposed a two-year deal to infielder Naehring. Terms are still a matter of speculation. Clemens' agents are said to be pondering bids in the $26 million-$28 million range, but if that's true, it's not from the White Sox. ``For the last time, we haven't made any offer to Roger Clemens,'' said White Sox general manager Ron Schueler from Chicago. ``And we're not going to make any offers. We have six pitchers we're looking at and Clemens isn't one of them.'' The Yankees and Indians are thought to be in heated pursuit of Clemens - particularly Cleveland - and a source familiar with negotiations says an offer might come from the Rangers. ``They brought Nolan Ryan back,'' said the source. ``Clemens is a Texas guy, and they usually come back to their roots, if possible.'' While the Sox say Naehring does indeed have a two-year offer from them, the parameters of it are so loose that he is going ahead with interviews with three other clubs. He is scheduled to meet today in Cleveland with representatives of the Indians and Orioles. Later in the week, he will be in New York to talk with the Yankees. Cleveland is offering three years at $10 million, with an option for a fourth year at $3 million, for Naehring to play second base. Meanwhile, the Red Sox went ahead and signed former Cy Young winner Bret Saberhagen to a minor league contract. He will get a $500,000 base if he is added to the major league roster and an additional $600,000 if he makes the club. If he makes 25 starts and pitches 200 innings, the righthander could make a total of $3.5 million. The Red Sox also have an option for 1998. Saberhagen, of course, is damaged property. He underwent shoulder surgery twice last year as a member of the Colorado Rockies, the second time on May 28. He missed the entire season and was offered only $200,000 by Colorado for next season. Duquette said Saberhagen had other offers (Baltimore and Cincinnati) but elected to go with Boston because of its proximity to his New York home. ``We did not sign Saberhagen because we thought we would lose Roger,'' said Duquette. ``We signed him to help our pitching staff. It usually takes a full year to come back from surgery. He projects coming back May 1. There isn't a lot of risk here. But there is a significant upside, if he is healthy.'' Boston's offer to Clemens, said Duquette, reflects the righty's popularity here and his historical significance, with a salary based on market value. ``There are a lot of criteria that go into decisions by players,'' said Duquette. ``Sometimes it's money, sometimes it's family, sometimes it's finishing your career with the club you started with. I don't know how Roger is going to weigh all that.'' The Sox took four players in the minor league portion of yesterday's Rule V draft: righthanded pitchers Brian K. Rose and Ron Hollis, lefthander Keith Barnes and third baseman Juan Espinal. Only Hollis played as high as Double A last season. This story ran on page e6 of the Boston Globe on 12/10/96.