Lucchino vows Sox won't be 'stand-pat team'

BOSTON -- Though Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino is obviously very fond of the roster that just brought a third World Series championship to Boston within the last decade, he knows that the club can't be sentimental when crafting the roster for next season.

Four of Boston's nine everyday players -- Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew and Jarrod Saltalamacchia -- are free agents.

"One of the lessons I learned a long time ago was that you can't fall in love with your veterans," Lucchino said. "You can't do that. That's not the way to run the railroad. We are not going to be a stand-pat team. That's just not the way we run the railroad here. That's probably a losing proposition every year. Every year has to have its own personality."

Ellsbury has spent his whole career with the Red Sox but he figures to have plenty of suitors. How much contact has Boston had with agent Scott Boras, who represents Ellsbury?

"That question is better asked to Ben [Cherington] because he deals with Jacoby's agent more frequently than anyone else. There's been plenty of interaction with him. How many phone calls, how many meetings, I can't tell you, but there's been plenty of dialogue," said Lucchino.