Breaking: Sox Considering Japan Boycott

Rob Bradford has the scoop (edit: Nick Cafardo also has details) that the Red Sox are going to have a players-only closed-door meeting this morning with the possible intention of boycotting their trip to Japan unless their coaches receive a $40,000 sum that was originally approved by the players when they agreed to the trip.

Players and the manager are each receiving $50,000 bonuses from Major League Baseball for making the journey, and while the sums are outrageous for making a business trip, this has to be one of the few times in recorded history that players are sticking up for someone other than themselves.

More as this develops.

UPDATE: The Sox sound like they’re serious. Here’s Mike Lowell to the Globe:

“When we voted to go to Japan, that was not a unanimous vote,” said Lowell, “but we did what our team wanted us to do for Major League Baseball. They promised us the moon and the stars and then when we committed, they started pulling back. It’s not just the coaches, it’s the staff, the trainers, a lot of people are affected by this.”

Here’s the Herald’s double-bylined piece with quotes from the manager.