It took more days to finalize the contract than it will take to complete spring training, but J.D. Drew appears ready to be officially called a member of the Boston Red Sox.

The team is slated to make an announcement today regarding the completion of the free agent's contract.

Yesterday marked the 51st day since agent Scott Boras strolled into the lobby of the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort to announce that his client, Drew, had agreed to a five-year, $70 million contract with the Red Sox. During the delay, both Boston and the outfielder's representatives haggled over language in the contract which would protect the team against further injury to the player's surgically repaired shoulder.

Drew underwent surgery in September 2005 to repair a labrum tear in his right shoulder. During the surgery, holes were drilled in his shoulder blade, or glenoid cavity, to encourage cartilage growth.

The language put in the contract to protect the Red Sox states that if Drew goes on the disabled list for any baseball-caused injury relative to the shoulder diagnosis in the third year of the contract, then the final two seasons are voidable. If he is placed on the DL for similar reasons in the fourth year, the fifth season can be terminated.

According to Boston Celtics team doctor and Essex resident Brian McKeon, in cases where holes are drilled to encourage cartilage growth, one of the uncertainties remains documented success results.

"All the literature, all the literature, of what we have is only in the knee," McKeon said. "There's no four-year followup of cases where you have a micro-fracture in the glenoid."

The idea behind drilling such a hole is to form what is called fibrocartilage, the medical term for the healthy form of cartilage. The blood then helps form hyland cartilage, or replacement cartilage, which is the scar tissue built from the blood.

According to a Dodgers official familiar with Drew's medical condition, the 31-year-old experienced no major side effects from the shoulder surgery last season. He finished with a strong September, hitting six home runs while totaling a .317 batting average. For the year, Drew played in a career-high 146 games, finishing at .283 with 20 homers.

Drew is slated to start in right field and bat fifth in the Boston order. The Red Sox are hoping the left-handed hitter will supply much improved punch to that spot behind cleanup man Manny Ramirez. Last season, Boston's No. 5 batters totaled a lower OPS (slugging percentage plus on-base percentage) than those hitting in the No. 9 hole.