Schilling accepts trade to Boston

Schilling accepts trade to Boston
Eds: PMs. LEADS with 9 grafs to CLARIFY that deal rewrites contract for 2004, ADD contract doesn't have no-trade clause. Minor editing. Picks up 9th graf pvs, 'Curt wasn't ...'
AP Photos AZRD107-113
By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer
BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox have two aces now, and two pitchers who will fight the manager to stay in a big game.
"If you're going to take me out during a game, take me out," said Curt Schilling, the newest member of the Red Sox. "Don't ask me how I feel, because the competitive nature tends to make me believe that, regardless of who you bring in, they're not going to have the stuff that I have."
Schilling accepted a trade to Boston on Friday after agreeing to a contract that could keep him with the Red Sox through the end of his career. Having teamed with Randy Johnson to win a World Series in Arizona, Schilling now joins Pedro Martinez in trying to lead the Red Sox to their first title since 1918.
Boston was five outs away from making the Series this season before Martinez persuaded manager Grady Little to leave him on the mound in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the AL championship series against the New York Yankees. Boston lost, Little was let go, and the Red Sox went into the offseason looking to upgrade.
They did so with Schilling, a five-time All-Star who shared the 2001 Series MVP with Johnson after they led the Diamondbacks to the championship.
"Curt Schilling can win a World Series in Boston. If it's in the stars, then so be it," Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo said. "Curt was brought here to help us win a World Series, and he did that. ... He got what he was seeking, and so did we ... a World Series ring."
Boston and Arizona worked out the deal Monday, but the 37-year-old Schilling had to waive the no-trade clause in his current contract for it to go through. A deadline for negotiations between Schilling and the Red Sox was to expire at 5 p.m. Friday but it was extended for one day; they only needed a couple of hours.
A baseball source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Schilling's new contract, which folded in the $12 million he was to receive in 2004, guarantees him $12.5 million in 2005 and $13 million in 2006. It also includes a $13 million option for 2007 that could become guaranteed if Schilling meets specified performance levels, the source said.
The new deal does not have a no-trade clause.
"Curt wasn't out for every last dollar. Very far from it. He wanted to structure his deal so the Red Sox would be competitive for every year of his contract," Boston general manager Theo Epstein said. "He deserves a lot of credit, because that's a rare request coming from a player."
Schilling probably will follow Martinez in what could be baseball's most formidable rotation, and that's fine with him.
"How many Cy Youngs has he got, three or four? At last count, that's three more than I've got. He is the No. 1 on that staff," Schilling said. "I didn't have a problem pitching behind Randy Johnson in Arizona, and I'm going to be equally comfortable pitching behind Pedro Martinez."
The Red Sox sent Casey Fossum and righty Brandon Lyon to the Diamondbacks, along with minor league pitcher Jorge De La Rosa and a minor leaguer to be named.
Arizona is trying to cut its payroll from about $94 million to $80 million.
Schilling had said he would only accept a trade to the Phillies or the New York Yankees, but Epstein persuaded him to come to Boston after meeting with him through the holiday and joining the Schillings for Thanksgiving dinner.
"If we didn't sign Curt, it probably would have been the worst Thanksgiving of my life," Epstein said.
Schilling was concerned that Fenway Park was unfriendly to right-handed fly ball pitchers. But he was also encouraged by the possibility of playing again for Terry Francona, his manager in Philadelphia who is the front-runner for the Red Sox job; he is expected to be hired next week.
"As far as the park goes," Schilling said, "Pedro made it work, so I'm going to make it work."
Boston already had one of the highest payrolls in baseball, but the chance to add Schilling was too tempting. It could also be insurance if the Red Sox fail to sign Martinez when his contract expires after the 2004 season.
Either way, the deal is the biggest Epstein has pulled off since he took over as Red Sox general manager last winter.
For his career, Schilling is 163-117 with a 3.33 ERA and 2,542 strikeouts. He went 22-6 with 293 strikeouts and a 2.98 ERA in 2001 as the Diamondbacks won the championship, then followed with a 23-7 record, 316 strikeouts and 3.23 ERA the next year.
He finished second both years to Johnson in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
But last season, Schilling made just 24 starts and missed six weeks after breaking a bone in his right hand. He went 8-9 with a 2.95 ERA and struck out 194 batters in 168 innings.
Schilling said he would donate $500,000 to the Red Sox's preferred charity, the Jimmy Fund.