Red Sox manager Terry Francona says that Josh Beckett is the leader of the team's pitching staff. Beckett, however, is in the final year of his contract with Boston. The Red Sox signed John Lackey to a five-year, $82.5 million contract in December. At the time, general manager Theo Epstein told Beckett to ignore speculation that he was on his way out of Boston. "I don't think that he would have contacted me if he didn't have some good intentions there," Beckett said. But Beckett won't talk about his contract situation beyond saying he has talked to the club. "We talked about talking," he said. "That stuff is going to work itself out. I'm really not too concerned with it and I don't really have anything to say about contract stuff today or probably any time during spring training. "I definitely don't want to let that be the focus on what I'm trying to do."