Hazen: Sox still engaged on Hamilton

Red Sox assistant GM Mike Hazen, in an interview on WEEI's Red Sox Hot Stove Show, said that the team continues to talk to free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton. He declined to go into specifics about the nature of the conversations, but suggested that the team will remain in dialogue with the slugger, as it will with other free agents while determining what it will take to sign them. 

Asked whether he could envision a deal that was relatively short on years with a high average annual value for the outfielder, Hazen responded, "I can’t talk about anything specifically as it relates to free agency. I think some of the things that have already been reported should in some cases give a fairly clear message as to which direction we’re moving.

"We’re staying engaged with Josh and all the other free agents, and we’ll see where it goes. You don’t know how these markets are going to develop. Sometimes you have a clear understanding of what they’re looking for and sometimes you don’t. We just stay engaged in all of those things, and as the market moves and it presents itself, you have a choice. You have your choice to get in or get out.

"We believe heavily, strongly, that that wave of players that’s coming up over the next two or three years, starting next year and moving into the next two and three years is the core of this team moving forward. We want to add impact talent any way we can, because 2013 is as important as any year. Like Ben said, he’s said it many times, we want to be a little bit more disciplined and intelligent about how we’re executing on that strategy, making sure we’re not sacrificing on either the short- or the long-term."

To listen to the complete interview, click here. For more Red Sox coverage, visit weei.com/redsox.