The (not-so-) lucky guys? Dan Wheeler and Scott Atchison. But both could be back, says the Globe's Peter Abraham.
Atchison's option was for the 2012 MLB minimum plus $200,000. He remains on the 40-man roster and is not eligible for arbitration. So the Sox could simply tender him an offer at the minimum or slightly above and retain him.
Wheeler is a Type B free agent. So the Red Sox could offer him arbitration and get a draft pick once he signs with another team.
My personal feeling is that we should bring Atchison back for next to nothing. Unless I'm mistaken, he can be optioned to Pawtucket, so he's flexible. (If I'm wrong about that, it's only Scott Atchison -- wouldn't be the end of the world if we lost him.)
I'd offer Wheeler arbitration, too. His ERA was in the mid-4s this year, but he did have a tidy 1.11 WHIP. If he takes arbitration, fine, he'll be relatively cheap free agent reliever with whom we're already familiar. If he declines, we get a draft pick. To me, it's an easy decision.
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