BOSTON -- Carl Everett has worn out his welcome with the Boston Red Sox, but the Milwaukee Brewers wouldn't rule out trading for the erratic outfielder.

	Everett

"I would not be afraid to have Carl Everett on the team," Brewers manager Davey Lopes said Tuesday at the baseball winter meetings. "He fits everything you want. There are definitely people who are going to shy away because they think he's a time bomb."

Everett clashed with two Red Sox managers this year, from the time he was fined for missing a bus in spring training until he was excused at the end of the season so that his inflamed knee and inflammatory attitude would stop being a distraction.

Another problem is that he is still owed $17.5 million over the next two years. The Brewers have reportedly offered Jeromy Burnitz, but he has two years and $18 million left on his contract and Milwaukee wanted Boston to eat much of Everett's salary, too.

But the biggest problem might be that Everett's production has tailed off. Although he started strong with Boston and made the All-Star team in 2000, he has gone downhill since then.

Last year, while limited to 102 games with a sore knee, he hit just .257 with 14 homers and 58 RBI.

"If the state of mind is not right for most people -- and not just Carl ... most of the time your numbers are going to decline because you're not concentrating, you're not focused," Lopes said.

"I would definitely not say Carl Everett has declined to the point he can't put up numbers any more."

Boston is Everett's fifth organization, and trouble seemed to follow him wherever he went. But Lopes isn't convinced Everett is the problem.

"He's not the first guy who's had a problem with an organization," Lopes said.

Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette said he has had discussions with several teams about several players, but nothing appeared close on Everett.

Royals think they're 'close' to landing Knoblauch
Both Kansas City and the Chicago Cubs expressed an interest in former Yankees second baseman and outfielder Chuck Knoblauch, a free agent.

"I think we're leading," Royals manager Tony Muser said. "I think we're close."

Muser said he wouldn't rule out moving Knoblauch back to second base, where he played in Minnesota and New York before he developed a problem making the short throw to first.

"I would have to talk to Chuck about that," Muser said. "I still think he has value as a leadoff hitter. He can still run."

On a day when about half of the managers held news conferences to offer updates on their offseason plans, Cubs manager Don Baylor also said he is interested in Knoblauch as a leadoff hitter and outfielder.

"I think a change of scenery would help him," Baylor said. "We would not be pursuing him if our scouts didn't like what they've seen."