I went to an event tonight in which Red Sox owner John W. Henry was given a prestigious award for his active -- yet understated -- role in the community. There was an opportunity to talk a little baseball with not just John, but also Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino and chairman Tom Werner.

Henry on this offseason: "I think this one is a little more difficult to predict what's going to happen in the offseason. They are all somewhat unpredictable but this one to me is a bit of a strange offseason. Attendance was down 6.5 percent league-wide. It will be interesting to see if that has any affect. Some teams, revenues actually went up. There seems to be a transitioning going on. A little less of an emphasis on free agency and a little more of an emphasis on building from within. That may be principally because the free agent classes are so thin, seemingly"

Does Henry expect the Red Sox will make a blockbuster move? Not necessarily. That said, it's probably too early to tell, and he certainly didn't rule anything out.

"When we went into the playoffs, we felt like we had a great three starting pitchers, which is what you need in the playoffs. We went into the playoffs expecting to go deep and we didn't so that was a shocking surprise. I think the ninth inning of the third game sort of summed it up. The Angels played extremely well. Sooner or later they were going to beat us. I feel we had a very good team that performed through the regular season. We scored more runs than we had in a few years though everyone seemed to complain that we didn't have enough hitting but we scored a lot of runs. Our starting pitching looks good, our bullpen looks good.

"But every team tries to improve during the offseason. I know Theo is preparing. He's been preparing. But it won't be easy for anyone -- from the player's side and from our side. There's a lot of unknowns."

Lucchino was asked if he thinks that 2010 could be the last go-around for the team that has won the World Series twice since 2004.

"We've been transitioning gradually," Lucchino said. "We don't have to do it abruptly. There's been a gradual transition. Our roster has older, mature veterans. Younger player in their prime. Young players about to get to their prime. So I think any transition is gradual."

But much like Henry, Lucchino doesn't think the 2009 team needs to be blown up just because of a highly disappointing Division Series against the Angels.

"it was a bitter pill to go out that quickly," Lucchino said. "It left a bitter taste. But now that we've had some time to reflect on it, it motivates us more. We always want to play in October, now we want to go deep in October."

What type of dynamic will there be this winter?

"Every offseason has its own personality depending on economic circumstances, the quality of the class, the free agents available, the nature of the trade market and it's too early to predict what's going to happen in this offseason. I don't think anyone would have predicted the offseason that unfolded last year."

Would Lucchino like to see Jason Bay patrolling the Green Monster again in 2010?

"Very much so," Lucchino said. "We'd love to have him back. He's in many ways the personification of the type of player we want here."

You can find some Tom Werner quotes in my story about Henry's award, but I didn't want to torture him by asking him baseball questions because he was battling a very sore throat and it was a struggle for him to speak sentences over a loud crowd during the cocktail reception.

FYI, with reports circulating this week that the Royals have been awarded the 2012 All-Star Game, all Lucchino would say is that he's heard nothing from Major League Baseball and his only knowledge of the game being given to the Royals was through media reports. The Red Sox made a bid to get the '12 Game in Boston, because it will be the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park.

I know everyone is getting restless because the speculation is out there on the Hot Stove front but not a whole lot has happened yet. This is the calm before the storm.

At the end of Thursday -- when midnight turns to Friday -- all free agents will be eligible to sign with other teams. This is where things will start to pick up.

Obviously with the Red Sox, the big domino is Jason Bay. Will they be able to keep him, and if not, who plays left field?

The Billy Wagner situation is also interesting. Could he actually stay in Boston? The likelihood is still that he will go somewhere else and the Red Sox will get compensatory draft picks.

Then, there is the shortstop situation. Who will it be? Alex Gonzalez? Omar Vizquel? Marco Scutaro? One reason I don't see them signing Scutaro is because they are so high on Julio Iglesias as the shortstop of the future, and Iglesias might only be a year or two away.

They spoke with John Lackey's agent, but I don't see that as a vialbe option. As the most accomplished starter on the market, Lackey is likely going to get big bucks from someone this winter, and when it comes to starting pitchers in their 30s, that someone is usually not the Red Sox.

The catching situation is now finalized. Jason Varitek has agreed to be a $3 million backup for next season. Now, on to some of the other matters of the offseason.

What will it take to keep Jason Bay under the employ of the Boston Red Sox? There have been several reports -- though none substantiated -- that Boston has made an offer somewhere around four years at $60 million. If that is indeed the case, I'm very encouraged that they can get something done.

If not, Holliday is not a bad alternative. Not at all. But Bay has already proved he can play in Boston while Holliday might need an adjustment period.

What else does Theo Epstein have up his sleeve this winter? I just get the feeling there is going to be a major move or two, but it's too early to say what. The market needs to play itself out for a while.

Jason Varitek is one phone call away from putting himself back on the Red Sox's roster for 2009. He simply has to tell the club he will exercise his $3 million player option.

At the GM Meetings in Chicago yesterday, general manager Theo Epstein made it clear that Victor Martinez will be a full-time catcher, which leaves Varitek playing once or maybe twice a week.

Under that scenario, would Varitek feel awkward keeping the C on his jersey? Knowing how much pride that man has, I think he might pass it on to Pedroia or simply give up his captainship.

Varitek knows better than anyone how important it is to be in the trenches every day, and my personal feeling is that he might feel sheepish about being a captain with a highly reduced role.

At any rate, Varitek has earned the right to do what makes him comfortable. He has until Saturday to inform the Red Sox if he will accept his option or become a free agent.

Stay tuned.

Great to hear that the Red Sox and Tim Wakefield have reached agreement on a two-year deal. Wakefield has been a class act his entire time in Boston, and one of the most loyal players in franchise history.

With 175 wins in a Boston uniform, it is very realistic that he can get the 18 necessary to set the team's all-time win record over the next two years.

Few athletes have appreciated what it means to play for the Red Sox more than Wakefield. Hopefully, for his sake, his body will hold up a little better over the next couple of years than it has for the last three or four.

For years, Wakefield had left his retirement as open-ended .But now, it appears set in his mind that he will step down after the 2011 season.

Now that the Yankees have capped off their 27th World Series championship, the work begins all over again for 30 general managers. This is their time of year. Free agents can't start filing as early as today.

Jason Bay and Boston's other eligible free agents aren't eligible to sign with another team until Nov. 19.

What will this Hot Stove season bring? While the lasting image of the 2009 Red Sox is a sweep by the Angels in the Division Series, the fact of the matter is that this team is in pretty good shape going forward.

That being said, you know Theo Epstein will do something significant. The question is, exactly what?

Will there be major changes or subtle tweaks?

On a side note, it was too bad that Pedro just didn't have it last night. I could tell from the first pitch it wasn't going to be his night. He didn't have that look of excitement he normally has when he knows he has his good stuff. He was so deliberate between pitches. There was little to no life on his fastball. And Matsui got him.

The next baseball game we will see will take place under the warm sun of Fort Myers. Bundle up until then!

Now, we have ourselves a full-fledged World Series. This, thanks to Chase Utley and Cliff Lee, who have, in tandem, kept the Phillies in this series.

Pedro Martinez will pitch Game 6 again in enemy territory at Yankee Stadium with a chance to make this Fall Classic truly classic and force a Game 7. The Yankees will counter with Andy Pettitte, and you wonder how he will fare on three days rest at this stage of his career.

Obviously not having a fourth starter is a glaring hole for the Yankees. The next couple of days will tell us if it is a fatal hole.

I'm thinking Game 6 gets the best ratings in the New England market for any non-Red Sox World Series game ever. Still a whole lot of Pedro fans in the Nation.

I remember when I was growing up, the Super Bowl went through a bad rut where it seemed like almost every year, it was a blowout. The two games that stick in my mind during my youth that were great games were the 49ers-Bengals in 1988, and the Giants-Bills in 1990. Other than that, blah.

Is the same thing going on with the World Series? If the Yankees win tonight, that would make it six years in a row the Fall Classic has been five games or less.

It would be nice to see the Phillies push this thing back to New York for Game 6, and, who knows, maybe even a Game 7?

That double steal by Damon last night was one of the most surreal things I've ever seen. It just goes to show you can see something completely new every time you watch a baseball game. I still can't believe nobody on the Phillies made an attempt to cover third.

Let's see what happens tonight. The Phillies should have plenty of fire in their eyes with Cliff Lee taking the mound on full rest.

With the Who's Your Daddy chants roaring from the stands at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night, a familiar game unfolded.

Remember the original Who's Your Daddy Game? It was Game 2 of the 2004 American League Championship Series. The score was New York 3, Boston 1.

The score of Thursday's game? New York 3, Philadelphia 1.

Last time, it was Jon Lieber who was just a little better than Pedro Martinez. This time it was A.J. Burnett.

Pedro's stat line in Game 2 of the 2004 ALCS; 6 innings, 4 hits, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 K's; 113 pitches, 64 strikes.

Pedro's stat line in Game 2 of the 2009 World Series: 6 innings, 6 hits, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K's, 107 pitches, 72 strikes.

Thursday's game was tremendous theater, just as I expected. Isn't it always with Pedro? When he walked off the mound midway through that seventh inning, two on and none out, Pedro looked up at the fans heckling him and managed a smile. Clearly, he is having fun at this advanced stage of his career. The pressure is off of Pedro and it is great to watch. He is a certain Hall of Famer no matter what he does from here.

He has indicated he will retire if the Phillies win this World Series. If not, look for Martinez to be back somewhere next year.

He will be up next in Game 6 of this series, again in New York, when more fascination is sure to unfold.

Remember the "Idiots" as Johnny Damon proclaimed them? How could you forget them. Five years ago today, they won the World Series, snapping an 86-year World Series championship drought.

Weird, huh? It feels like 86 years ago that we even had a championship drought around here.

So yes, it will be a little strange for Red Sox fans when this World Series starts on Wednesday night in New York and Johnny Damon is in one dugout and Pedro Martinez is in the other.

I think I know which "Idiot" all -- or most of you -- will be rooting for.

Personally, I thought it was a pleasure to cover both of these guys. I got to be around Pedro every day for three years and Johnny every day for four years, and I appreciated them both in terms of their competitiveness and their personalities.

One of these guys will collect a second ring before this World Series is over.

Pedro will start Game 2 on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.

Here is Damon, who spoke in a euphoric Yankees clubhouse after Sunday night's game, on the matchup, and on Pedro in general.

"Well, it will be fun if I can be successful off of him," Damon said. "If you're not successful, it's not too much fun, especially this time of year. I'm happy for Pedro. Not too many teams bid on him to pick him up during the offseason. He waited and he picked the right team and he's back in the World Series."

Strange though, right?

"It's strange, but I always hope the best for Pedro, except against us obviously," Damon said. "But what a great teammate. I've been fortunate enough to be able to play with him and against him for all these years."

It should be a great matchup. I'm looking forward to this World Series.