Posted by Alex Speier

DANA POINT, Calif.–Baseball executives are now in full retreat to their home cities after the conclusion of the annual G.M. meetings, which ended without any noteworthy deals. With eight days left until teams are free to bid on free agents and establish any kind of terms, there remains an air of uncertainty about the market. Despite indications that several prominent free-agent pitchers will be seeking long-term, big-money deals, the market could either spike or cool down, depending on how deeply teams believe they will be affected by the current economic downturn.

If the cost of pitching continues the upward trends of recent years, the Sox are unlikely to get too involved in bidding for the prominent pitchers. But if the economy dampens the free-agent market and forces more modest salary demands, then the Sox may seek to bolster their rotation.

Red Sox G.M. Theo Epstein suggested that the primary function of the meetings had been to lay the groundwork for future offseason activity.

“We just exchanged a lot of information. I’d say we have a better feel for the landscape now, going forward,” said Epstein. “That may serve us well down the road.”

Based on conversations with executives, here is a rundown of some of the developments that occurred during the four-day stay in Southern California:

–There is a potentially robust trade market for Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp. Unlike a year ago, when the presence of free agents such as Torii Hunter, Aaron Rowand, Andruw Jones and Mike Cameron were all available, Mark Kotsay is likely the best–and, to some, the only–starting centerfielder on the market. The Sox would simply seek the best available return if they move Crisp, rather than targeting a specific need. The team is under no imperative to move the outfielder, so they seem to have solid leverage in a deal.

–There is nothing new regarding catcher Jason Varitek. The Sox would like to bring him back on a short-term deal, and agent Scott Boras will advocate for a longer-term deal that would take Varitek past his 40th birthday.

–Teams with catching to offer recognize that they have a scarce commodity, and so they will remain inclined to ask for top Red Sox pitching prospects such as Justin Masterson and Clay Buchholz. The Sox will explore every available option, whether a short-term veteran acquisition  or a younger catcher around whom they can build.

–The notion that the Mariners might make catcher/first baseman Jeff Clement was dismissed. The second overall pick of the 2005 draft is being treated as a core member of Seattle’s lineup. Moreover, there are questions about whether he can stick behind the plate.

–Though the Diamondbacks would seem to have a catching surplus in Chris Snyder and Miguel Montero, Arizona is content to return with both backstops next year unless they are blown away by an offer.

–The Rangers have emphasized a desire to seek major-league starting pitching in exchange for one of their four catchers in the past, but Texas insists that it will be open-minded about the sort of players–whether lower-level pitchers, position-playing prospects or anything else–that it will target this winter. The team also has options on all four of the catchers, and given the departure of Milton Bradley, the team can use its catching surplus to occupy the designated hitter slot as well. As such, the team does not fear a bottleneck that would impede the development of anyone from the group of Taylor Teagarden, Gerald Laird, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Max Ramirez.

–The Sox were pleased to see Dustin Pedroia receive recognition as a Gold Glove second baseman. “It’s great to see him get recognized,” said Epstein. “He’s worked hard over there. He deserves it.”

–The market for shortstop Julio Lugo will likely take time to develop. Padres G.M. Kevin Towers said that he had about “a handful” of teams inquire about the availability of his shortstop, Khalil Greene, and that indications were that most would first wait to see what might take place in the free-agent market (especially with Rafael Furcal) before they got too far down the road in trade talks.

–The Blue Jays are in a bit of an in-between state. Injuries to Dustin McGowan and Shaun Marcum as well as the potential departure of A.J. Burnett could turn a rotation that was the best in the American League into one with too many holes to fill. Toronto believes that it can compete, but if they struggle to identify pieces that would address current holes, then they acknowledge that they may have to step back for a year and let some of their young players get opportunites.

–Though Toronto was interested in Sox shortstop Julio Lugo when he was on the free-agent market two winters ago, the Jays would be unlikely to pursue a buy-low scenario with the shortstop now, in part because of the importance of infield defense behind their pitching staff. The team is happy with its current pairing of Marco Scutaro and John McDonald.