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A look at how the Carl Crawford deal went down for Red Sox, Angels

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The Angels were apparently prepared to up their offer to Carl Crawford to the same seven-year, $142-million contract the free-agent outfielder agreed to with the Boston Red Sox late Wednesday night but were not given the chance.

A major league source familiar with negotiations said Los Angeles-based media reports of the team’s formal offer to Crawford -- for six years and $108 million, with a vesting seventh-year option that would have pushed the deal to $126 million -- were accurate.

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Several Boston media outlets, including WEEI.com, Comcast SportsNet New England and the Boston Herald, reported on their websites Saturday that the Angels wanted an answer from Crawford by 11 p.m. EST Wednesday night.

Boston’s initial offer was reportedly seven years and $119 million. Crawford’s agents, Greg Genske and Brian Peters, reportedly told both clubs that it would take seven years and $142 million to get the deal done and that it was time for the teams to finalize their best offers.

Boston General Manager Theo Epstein reportedly received permission from Red Sox owner John Henry to go to $142 million, and Angels GM Tony Reagins reportedly received similar approval from owner Arte Moreno.

Genske, meanwhile, called Crawford to ask where he preferred to play if both offers were the same. The answer: Boston.

On the final night of the winter meetings in Orlando, Fla., the Red Sox and Genske began hammering out a contract about 10 p.m. and came to an agreement at 10:50 p.m.

When Reagins arrived at Genske’s suite for an 11 p.m. meeting, he was told that Crawford had a deal somewhere else. Reagins, according to the reports, was irate, telling Genske he thought $142 million would get the deal done.

The agent reportedly told Reagins that $142 million was what it would take to get a deal done, not that the sides had a deal.

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Tim Mead, Angels vice president of communications, said Saturday that reports that the Angels offered $142 million were “inaccurate.”

At his introductory news conference in Boston on Saturday, Crawford, the former Tampa Bay Rays star, said the Red Sox were a “better fit” for him than the Angels. “I had interest in the Angels, but at the end of the day, I felt my situation would definitely be better here in Boston,” Crawford said. “The Angels are a pretty nice organization, but at the end of the day, I think that my heart is in Boston.

“I have a 6-year-old son. I think he was a closet Boston fan because when I told him I was coming to Boston, he was more excited than me. And that’s when I knew I had made the right decision. It was just one of those things. The feeling feels so good that you couldn’t pass that up.”

-- Mike DiGiovanna

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