BOSTON -- He's a 32-year-old free agent. He's averaged 115 RBI a year in his 11 full seasons. And he's driven in more runs the last five years (623) than Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez and Todd Helton.

	Juan Gonzalez Right Field Cleveland Indians Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R SB AVG 140 35 140 97 1 .325

But as the winter meetings were swinging into full-bore action Monday, Juan Gonzalez continued to look for work, without any signs of a Giambi-esque clamor. And even though Gonzalez and his agent, Jeff Moorad, have taken the preemptive strike of obtaining a $50 million insurance policy on Gonzalez that Moorad says includes his back, clubs remain skeptical.

"What's the premium on the insurance policy?" wondered a GM of one interested team. "You can insure just about anything, but back insurance is very tough to come by -- unless there's a $10 million premium on a $50 million policy."

Good question. Moorad said Monday he didn't recall the exact amount of that premium. But, he admitted, "it's a lot."

When told some team executives had expressed concern that the cost of that premium might be prohibitive, Moorad shook his head.

"You can't win every side of that argument," he replied. "You can't claim he's an uninsurable risk, then get insurance and claim it's too expensive. The point is, something has to give somewhere.

"But let's just say," Moorad said with a chuckle, "I'm glad I'm not paying the premium. Put it that way."

For now, Moorad said, Gonzalez is paying the premium until someone signs him. At that point, the policy -- written by Lloyds of London -- becomes assumable by the team, unless it chooses not to assume it.

Asked how Gonzalez was able to obtain that insurance at all, Moorad said Gonzalez's reasonably healthy season in Cleveland, in which he played 140 games, was one factor.

"You've got to remember," Moorad said, "that the last time Juan had back problems was in Detroit. There was no back problem in Cleveland."

Moorad conceded Gonzalez has a herniated disc, but said he had an "absence of problematic symptoms" this season.

"The thinking of the medical practioner," Moorad said, "was that a herniated disc is not unusual. Many people have them. . . and it's not a problem if managed properly."

While Gonzalez may have managed it to the tune of 140 RBI this year, he remains teamless. And Mets GM Steve Phillips all but closed one door Gonzalez has steadfastly attempted to poke his foot through by saying this week that the Mets can't sign any prominent free agent "unless we move salary." Phillips conceded the chances of his team moving enough salary to make room for a Gonzalez or Barry Bonds-type player were slim.

"Steve made it clear when he first called, at the beginning of the free-agent period, that the only way the Mets could sign a marquee bat was to move payroll," Moorad said. "Based on my discussion with Steve last night, that's still his position.

"He's made some moves. At least he's made one move (trading Robin Ventura for David Justice). And he's positioned himself to make others. But his interest in Juan was always conditional on shifting payroll. And that's still the case."

One recent development that at least could give Gonzalez a new option was the Indians' decision Friday to offer him arbitration. That was purely designed to make sure the club gets a draft pick as compensation when Gonzalez signs elsewhere. But Moorad suggested it also meant "a door that was closed has now been cracked open."

"We've made it clear that in Juan's situation, he'd be very happy to re-sign with the Indians," Moorad said. "On the other hand, I don't believe this will be a one-year contract. Therefore, I don't believe the arbitration offer ultimately means much. I think Juan is positioned to sign a multiyear contract somewhere. The good news is that Cleveland is now at least an option, where a few days ago it appeared it wasn't."

Asked what he expected the term of Gonzalez's deal to be, Moorad suggested only that it would be longer than one year and shorter than Manny Ramirez's contract (eight years), which he negotiated at last year's winter meetings.

But the club that would do that deal has yet to emerge. And while Moorad said he expects the market to open up after Giambi signs, he had trouble pinpointing Gonzalez's timetable for signing.

"Well," Moorad said, "I'd like to enjoy Christmas. So the next couple of weeks would be good."

Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com.