Edgar

Renteria

With Scott Rolen unavailable, manager Tony La Russa placed his shorstop into the coveted position between Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds because he suspected Renteria had been pressing. Renteria went 1-for-4.

“We had a very impressive meeting with the Tigers,” agent Jeff Lane said Sunday. “The Tigers are definitely heading in the right direction. They’ve got an exciting situation there.” Lane could just be using Detroit in an attempt to drive up the bids of St. Louis and Boston, but if the Tigers end up with the top offer on the board, they can’t be ruled out. Because Carlos Guillen is a fine defensive shortstop, Renteria wouldn’t be as good of a signing for the Tigers as he would be for most teams. Guillen would shift to third if Renteria is signed.

Those offers were believed to be from Detroit and Seattle, though which was from which was unclear. The Cardinals’ last offer was for $38 million over four years, but it was probably backloaded. Renteria, who should officially sign tomorrow, receives a $4 million signing bonus with salaries of $7 million in 2005, $8 million in 2006, and $9 million in both 2007 and 2008. The Red Sox hold an $11 million option for 2009 with a $3 million buyout.

A source familiar with Renteria’s plans told the Globe that the Tigers were out of it. The Cardinals won’t match Boston’s offer, which could be worth more than $36 million over four years, but Renteria still might elect to stay where he’s comfortable.

Not good. Renteria will lose at-bats and score fewer runs while batting seventh. It could be even worse news for Jim Edmonds, who figures to bat with fewer men on base.

It’s believed that the proposal is for more than $8 million per season, though the way it’s structured might prove unappealing to Renteria. The Cardinals likely will offer Renteria arbitration, allowing them to continue negotiations.

“I was more optimistic earlier than I am today, but in these meetings things change quickly,” said Jocketty. “So at this time tomorrow we might be a little more favorable. But right now I’m not as optimistic as I was last week.” Another meeting is scheduled for Saturday. ESPN’s Peter Gammons reported that the Cardinals were willing to go to $36 million over four years to keep their shortstop, but it’s unclear whether they’ve put that offer on the table.

$10 million per season is what Renteria deserves in this market. The 29-year-old is a safe choice to be above average for the next four seasons and he’ll probably mix in one or two years of star-level play even if he never again has another season like his 2003.

Renteria is day-to-day with back problems that have bothered him for about a month.

''To have [Nixon] healthy from Day 1 is going to be a big bonus,’' Francona said. ''All of a sudden, you have [Jason] Varitek, [Kevin] Millar, Trot, [Edgar] Renteria, those guys who can hit fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth. It’s a nice combination of hitters.’' We were afraid Francona might stick Renteria in the second spot in the lineup, likely pushing Mark Bellhorn all the way down to ninth. Such a move still can’t be counted out, but he doesn’t seem to be leaning that way.