“Jon’s very aware of how I feel about him,” Francona said. “I think he knows how the entire organization feels about him. He’s got a pretty mature attitude toward this whole thing. He’s fine.”

Santana, though, has the track record.

He is 93-44 with a 3.22 ERA in eight major league seasons and won the AL Cy Young Award in 2004 and 2006. He slipped last season when he went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA. It was his worst winning percentage and ERA in the past six seasons.

Still, three teams considered giving up plenty of top young players to get him.

In four starts against the Red Sox over the last three seasons, Santana was 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA. He had 23 strikeouts and six walks in 24 innings.

For Boston, he would have formed a formidable one-two punch with Beckett, coming off a 20-7 season with a 3.27 ERA. Instead, the Red Sox and Yankees are following the same path — keeping young players who developed in their farm systems and don’t make much money rather than trading them for one ace who commands a rich contract.

But Francona isn’t thinking about Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy, three rookies last year who could be in the Yankees’ rotation this year.

The manager will be figuring out how to squeeze six starters into five spots.

“I don’t want to rate the Yankees,” Francona said. “I’ve got a tough enough time worrying about us. I don’t know. I hope every team we play struggles.”

And he certainly has no time to think about the next time Santana could show up in Fenway’s visitors’ clubhouse — in the World Series.

“You’re getting way ahead of me,” Francona said.

More news

Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images

Who deserves some early awards?

DeMarco: David Wright's hot bat — he's hitting .405 — makes him the pick for NL MVP thus far. But that's just for starters in our feature.

Pujols homers, Angels rally past Mariners

SEATTLE (AP) - Pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick broke a tie in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run single off Seattle closer Brandon League, and the Los Angeles Angels rallied from a 4-0 deficit for a 6-4 win over the Mariners on Friday night.

Headlines

• Label

Pirates blank Cubs for 10th straight loss

Joyce, Rays slam Red Sox  |  HBT: Benches clear

Nats handle Braves, extend NL East lead

Rangers crush Jays behind Cruz's 8 RBI

Yankees homer past Athletics, 6-3

White Sox stay hot as Dunn hits 15th HR

Stanton 1st player to hit Marlins' sculpture

HBT: Hamilton homers for first time since May 12