LAS VEGAS—As the Red Sox search for a catcher of the future, the requests in trade talks have become familiar. The team’s top prospects—particularly pitchers Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden, as well as slugging first baseman Lars Anderson—are the constant subjects of trade requests.

Yet the Sox, having cultivated an impressive stable of talent that is either major-league ready or soon will be, have shown their desire to protect those players. That has already been the case with at least one proposed deal for a catcher whom the Sox have been watching closely.

According to an industry executive, the Arizona Diamondbacks approached the Sox with an offer that would have featured 25-year-old backstop Miguel Montero for 22-year-old pitching prospect Michael Bowden. Montero, despite a .239 average, .309 OBP and .720 OPS in the majors, is viewed as having significant offensive potential, particularly for a catcher. He is viewed as one of the best available long-term catching options on the market.

Yet the Sox were not interested, preferring to keep the 22-year-old Bowden, who has produced a dominating track record (20-13, 3.15 ERA, 389 strikeouts and 106 walks in 406 innings) while racing from high school through the minors.

During a winter meetings characterized chiefly by inactivity, such developments have to pass for news. While it seems in some ways absurd that a team’s non-deals should be deemed newsworthy, in another sense, it is entirely appropriate that such decisions take center stage.

“When we have stability, a strong foundation, a great farm system, a lot of pitching coming, most positions filled,” said G.M. Theo Epstein, “we don’t take that for granted.”

A FERTILE FARM SYSTEM

There was a time, earlier this decade, when the Sox simply did not have the components to make a deal. At the beginning of Epstein’s tenure in Boston, for instance, a team official once pronounced that the Sox could offer every player in their system to the Expos and still fail to convince Montreal to part with Javier Vazquez.

That is no longer the case. The Sox clearly have chips that other teams covet, and that the Sox themselves fight to protect. When the Sox do not conclude a trade, it now seems a matter of choice rather than evidence of a deficient farm system.

The Rangers, for instance, have given every indication that they would deal one of their top young catching talents to Boston if the Sox were willing to part with Clay Buchholz. Even though manager Terry Francona admitted that the pitcher “certainly went through growing pains” while being shuffled between the majors and minors in 2008, the Sox have still declared the hurler off limits to other clubs thus far this winter.

“He’s in our minds a top of the rotation starter for six years,” said Epstein. “He has a very high price. We value him tremendously.”

The same has been true of Justin Masterson, whose flexibility as a possible starter or reliever represents a huge boon, Bowden, whose consistent minor-league excellence suggests a player who is almost or perhaps even already major-league ready, and Anderson, the power-hitting 21-year-old who is the team’s best prospect.

Any of those four players could serve as the foundation of trades of significant magnitude. The Sox, however, value what each of those prospects could contribute to their own club, viewing the group as the next-in-line to offer the youthful reinforcements that have been a staple of the team’s success in the past two years.

“It’s a pretty fair-sized pool right now, which is good, obviously,” said Sox farm director Mike Hazen. “I do think we have players that teams like. (But) you never have enough. Nobody ever feels good about parting with young players at times.

The Sox have also encountered interest in their next level of prospects. The team has heard inquiries about such Double-A prospects as outfielder Josh Reddick, relief pitchers Daniel Bard and Richie Lentz and, to a lesser degree, Single-A pitcher Stolmy Pimentel.

But those players have been treated by potential trade partners as complementary components, rather than centerpieces. At this time of year, and in this economy, teams are focused on acquiring major-league ready talent. That being the case, players who are a year or so from the majors—even if they have more potential than major-league ready prospects—are treated as less valuable assets.

Thus far, with the Sox doing everything they can to protect those assets that are likely to offer a major-league impact in the near-term, deals have been elusive.

“We just haven’t matched up yet,” said Epstein. “Maybe teams look at our club and see us as basically set, except maybe for one spot (catcher). Maybe the players they like are part of our plans. That could change.”

THE OUTLOOK

The Sox have the sort of prospect depth to match up with almost any club in a trade should they want to do so. Yet the team does not feel compelled to rush to make any deals.

A year ago, the Sox’ decision not to trade for two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana paid enormous dividends, as prospects Jon Lester, Masterson and Jed Lowrie flourished as key components of a playoff team. There is a lesson in that experience.

It would be easy for the Sox to use their available prospect talent to move quickly in addressing their most glaring deficiency. As Arizona’s Montero-for-Bowden proposal suggests, the opportunity to do so exists.

But the Sox recognize that they will likely be stronger if they do not rush to find a catcher, and instead take a deliberate approach that is meant to find the best fit for both their short- and long-term goals.

“We’re trying to make the club better, but we’re not trying to make a splash. We’re not trying to win the offseason,” said Epstein. “We need to focus on winning year-in, year-out during the season.”

Alex Speier is a senior writer for WEEI.com.