It was not a good week for the Sox, as Ross and Nick Swisher went elsewhere.
Cody Ross hit 22 home runs for the Red Sox in 2012, but the club's pursuit of a new contract was insufficient.
Even if Joel Hanrahan winds up in the Boston bullpen at a relatively low cost, the week before Christmas was not a good one for Ben Cherington.
The Red Sox general manager officially lost out on Cody Ross and Nick Swisher, while delays in the Mike Napoli signing raised questions of whether that supposedly done deal was unraveling.
Napoli's status hinges on the club's concerns over a hip injury. The Red Sox, who targeted Napoli as their starting first baseman and part-time catcher, have reportedly explored reducing the three-year, $13 million pact to two years.
If the Napoli deal collapses altogether - an outcome that can no longer be discounted - the Red Sox can no longer fill their first base hole with Swisher, who signed a four-year, $56 million deal with Cleveland.
The Red Sox have been unwilling to go beyond three years with any player. That might have been a sticking point with Ross, who stands as the biggest blemish of all on Cherington's offseason record.
The outfielder agreed to a three-year, $26 million deal with Arizona Saturday.
Ross was one of Boston's few bright spots in 2012, hitting 22 homers with 81 RBIs. He also rose to become a leader in a clubhouse that was otherwise fractured, and he expressed interest in coming back.
The Red Sox said they were interested as well. Yet Ross, 32, went to Arizona for far less money than Boston shelled out to either outfielder Shane Victorino (three years, $39 million) or Napoli.
Why couldn't the Red Sox ever take the lead on the Ross signing, even after casual talks had begun during the season? Some reports said they would not go beyond two years, even though they gave three years to Victorino and Napoli.
Ross said Saturday that Arizona gave him a chance to win. It was a not-so-subtle slap at Boston, which was similarly rebuffed when pitcher Dan Haren signed with Washington.
Other reports said Ross was miffed that Boston seemed to take his return for granted. For a club known to care about marketing and image, the Ross case showed an astonishing tin ear to Red Sox fans who wanted him back.
Ross' demand of less than $9 million per year seemed in range for a team that paid $5 million per year for Jonny Gomes, who could have served as a part-time starter in a well-fortified outfield.
With Ross and Swisher off the market, Gomes might be full-time unless he platoons with Ryan Kalish in left. As for first base, Adam LaRoche is a free agent, but the Nationals are interested in retaining him.
If they do, Washington might trade outfielder-first baseman Mike Morse, but Boston's choices are shrinking.
The Hanrahan deal looks good for the Red Sox, who would acquire an All-Star without giving up any players essential to their future. Boston will part with minor league pitcher Stolmy Pimentel, outfielder Jerry Sands, big league reliever Mark Melancon and one other player, and would get Hanrahan and one more player.
Determining the rest of the package might delay the final deal until after Christmas. It is not expected to sabotage it, but it's not done yet, and the Napoli situation is a reminder that nothing is certain until papers are signed.
Even the acquisition of Hanrahan has a negative side. It will be interpreted as an admission that Cherington's trade for shaky closer Andrew Bailey last year might have been a mistake.
Bailey came for Josh Reddick, who hit 32 homers and won a Gold Glove for Oakland. That's a bitter pill for Red Sox fans to swallow as they watch Cherington spend a second straight offseason looking for closer options.
The Red Sox will not get as much as they had hoped by trading Jacoby Ellsbury, whose liabilities (injury, looming free agency) reduce his trade value. Most of their deals have been for players who slipped from 2011 to 2012.
That suggests a bargain-hunting mentality even as Boston's total offseason investment for eight players (Napoli, Victorino, David Ortiz, David Ross, Koji Uehara, Gomes, Hanrahan and Ryan Dempster) surpasses $155 million.
That's a good chunk of change for a team and general manager whose attempts to rebuild the roster do not figure to satisfy a fan base with growing questions about their team's direction.