“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.

Don't miss this on MSNBC.com Pass it on: Sons of infertile men may be next The eight biggest Olympic marketing debacles Reality show judges range from wise to wacko Cosmic Log: Is this your jetpack? Forget your inhibitions: World's sexiest islands

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Mauer vs. Bronx bullies for AL MVP CTB: Handicapping the Halladay chase Blyleven: Pitching to be had beyond Halladay CTB: Should the Yankees get younger? DeMarco: Red Sox should take measured approach CTB: A prediction — Lackey will sign with Yankees CTB: Indians unlikely to deal Wood this offseason CTB: Mets could be interested in Royals’ Guilllen Complete list of free agents Circling the Bases: Blogging on news, rumors, buzz Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: