It’s Christmas Eve for Scott Boras and his fellow MLB player agents.

Tonight at midnight, free agents are eligible to sign deals with new teams so perhaps it was no surprise that the game’s most powerful agent joined WEEI’s Red Sox Hot Stove program Thursday night to explain how he and his clients plans on attacking this year’s market.

OK, so those are my words, not his, but let’s have some fun with this and try to read between the lines of what Boras said.

On Boston’s need for a middle-of-the-order bat:

“…The hard part is that going out and getting middle-of-the-lineup bats that give you both power and on-base percentage and run production, that had been the keys to the Red Sox’ success in 2004 and 2007 when they won, to fulfill those deficiencies with the talent available is going to be a difficult chore.”

Boras-speak translation: “If Boston misses out on the likes of Mike Napoli or Adam LaRoche, I have a guy in Carlos Pena who might suit their needs on a low-risk, one-year deal…”

On the value of a productive second baseman:

“When you look at players like (Dustin) Pedroia or (Robinson) Cano, when they perform at those levels for their team, when they provide both ends of that form, it just gives you a real advantage. You know you get down to the numbers there’s just two or three, as opposed to corner outfielders where there may be 17 of them. So it’s something that’s really, really valuable to a team, a rare commodity.

Boras-speak translation : “Dear Yankees, my boy Cano has one year and $15 million remaining. Now might be a great time to start talking extension. The price is only going up.”

On the market for closers:

“I think the rarity of having a people that can put together seasons with 35 saves and then handle the postseason, they’re so important, they’re so necessary, the experience is there and if you don’t have it, I believe you’re running a risk that will make a very, very good team either a non-playoff team or a team that doesn’t allow you to fulfill your expectancies in the playoffs.”

Boras-speak translation: “I’ll probably score a sweet, three-year deal from the Yankees for Rafael Soriano and then find teams with playoff aspirations willing to take a flier on my guys Jose Valverde, Francisco Rodriguez and Ryan Madson.”

On how much money teams will have to spend:

“We’re having increases in the billions of franchise values with seven or eight teams, you know, the Boston and New York markets, the LAs and the Chicagos. We’ve just seen rapid growth economically. So, with those increases in revenues both annually and franchise values, I think the fans are deserving of the commitments on the part of those teams to field perennial competitive clubs that have a chance to win.”

Boras-speak Translation: “The industry is flush with cash and fans are expecting — no, demanding — their teams to spend more as a result. Oh, about that nine-year, $214-million contract for Prince Fielder last winter? You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

MORE PAYROLL, SPENDING TALK:

The headline in this Ken Rosenthal’s piece reads “stage set for stupefying spending,” in part due to the extra $50 million each team will be receiving starting in 2014 thanks to MLB’s new eight-year national TV deal.

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes the Brewers payroll is likely to come down from its current $100 million, making a play for Josh Hamilton unlikely, according to GM Doug Melvin.

MORE FREE AGENT BUZZ:

Baseball’s new CBA for determining free agent compensation: qualifying offers and today is the deadline for teams to make them.

So how do they work? Ben Nicholson Smith of MLB Trade Rumours breaks it all down here.

A couple of quick notes on them:

- All qualifying offers are for one year and $13.3 million.

- Teams have until five days after the World Series to make a qualifying offer. At that point, the players have seven days to accept or hit the market.

- The first 10 picks in the 2013 MLB draft are protected. So for example, the Blue Jays cannnot lose their first pick in next year’s draft as compensation for signing a free agent.

Jon Morosi writes the Blue Jays are showing interest in free agents Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse and Ryan Dempster, among others.

The Blue Jays aren’t the only team reportedly showing interest in Dempster, as Chicago Cubs GM Jed Hoyer tells Doug Padilla he has discussed bringing him back. Dempster lives in Chicago during the off-season.

Big Papi in Texas? Should David Ortiz and the Red Sox break up, the Rangers have expressed “serious interest,” writes Rosenthal.

Matt Pepin’s five free agent moves the Red Sox should make include taking runs at Mike Napoli and Nick Swisher.

Speaking of the Red Sox, Jon Heyman reports they and the Chicago Cubs “are among a few teams talking to the Angels about Dan Haren.”

The Baltimore Orioles declined Mark Reynolds’ $11-million option but Rich Dubroff sees the two sides eventually coming together on a new two-year deal.

Hiroki Kuroda is apparently cool with signing a one-year deal, which has the Yankees hopeful he might accept their qualifying offer, writes Jon Heyman.

Dave Cameron of frangraphs.com offers this novel take on free agent lists: The 25 Best – and Five Worst – Free Agent Values. The Coles Notes: Splurge on Anibal Sanchez, don’t take calls from Kyle Lohse.

Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle reports, free agents Marco Scutaro, Jeremy Affeldt and Angel Pagan would all like to return to the Giants. Scutaro’s asking price: “Fifteen years, three-thousand-million-dollars. How do you like me now?”

MANAGERIAL/COACHING MOVES

Last night Rosenthal reported the Blue Jays were “leaning toward hiring a manager who already has done the job.” He also dropped a new name into the mix: Reds double-A manager Jim Riggleman.

The Colorado Rockies search is believed to be down to these four finalists:

Giambi, Weiss, Williams will come Coors Field to meet w Monfort and O’Dowd. Runnells already met w them a few weeksAgo

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) November 1, 2012

Thomas Harding of MLB.com says although the Rockies have hinted at making a decision this week, they likely won’t make an announcement until next week.

Meanwhile, former AL Rookie of the Year Walt Weiss was in Denver today:

Rockies tweeted a photo of Walt Weiss coming in for managerial interview. Openness: What a novel idea. twitter.yfrog.com/mo2g2adj

— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) November 2, 2012

REMEMBERING PASCUAL PEREZ:

Yesterday, news broke that former Montreal Expos pitcher Pascual Perez had been murdered in his home in the Dominican Republic during a home invasion.

At Grantland.com, lifelong Expos Fan Jonah Keri writes, “if you were fortunate enough to see a Pascual Perez start in those days, you’d always come back with two things: a story to tell and a smile on your face.”

Over at the Toronto Star, former Expos PR man Richard Griffin has his own tribute to Perez in which he says, “The city of Montreal loved Pascual. They loved him for his dripping jheri curls and the huge innocent eyes that made you know that everything he did and said was genuine.

“They loved him for the fist pumps and the prance and the fake pickoff throws looking between his legs. He was flamboyant, colourful, a hot dog, an ingénue, a charming ladies’ man and an incurable prankster.”

Griffin’s piece includes several more terrific Perez anecdotes. You won’t regret checking it out.