BOSTON (AP) — Jacoby Ellsbury wove his way through a crowded clubhouse, carrying above his head one of the bases he was awarded while breaking the team’s single-season stolen base record. On a table near the TV, Dustin Pedroia’s Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards sat, waiting to be boxed up and shipped home.

The big prize will go elsewhere this year.

The Boston Red Sox cleared out of Fenway Park on Monday, a day after they were swept from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Angels. Leading the third game of their divisional series 5-2 with two outs in the eighth and closer Jonathan Papelbon on the mound, the Red Sox lost 7-6 and the Angels will play for the American League pennant against the New York Yankees.

“It’s definitely not a good day,” said pitcher Clay Buchholz, who would have earned the win if Papelbon had been able to protect the lead. “You wake up at 11:30 and say, ‘What do I have to do now?’ It’s a weird feeling.”

Manager Terry Francona said the team, which had stumbled in September before winning its last four regular-season games, was ready to catch a second wind and put together a long playoff run. But falling behind the Angels 0-2 in the best-of-five series left them no room for the mistakes that came in the eighth and ninth innings on Sunday.

“It’s frustrating, because none of us was ready to go,” he said.

About a half-dozen players were boxing their belongings on Monday and getting ready to scatter for the offseason.

Some might not be coming back.

Leftfielder Jason Bay is the most notable free agent on the team, a group that could also include catcher Jason Varitek, shortstop Alex Gonzalez and reliever Billy Wagner. Bay, who was acquired for Manny Ramirez at the 2008 trading deadline, said he would like to come back but he will consider what might come his way in the open market.

“I’m a pretty levelheaded guy,” he said. “If something comes up that makes sense, I’ll have a tough time saying no to it.”

General manager Theo Epstein said the Bay negotiations were unusual in that Bay wants to come back and the Red Sox want him, but they hadn’t been able to get a deal done. “He’s a pro, and we really couldn’t ask for more than what we’ve gotten from him,” Epstein said.

Varitek has a mutual option that gives him a chance to sign for $3 million if the team decides not to re-sign him for $5 million. But the Red Sox traded for Victor Martinez this summer and have him under contract for another season.

“We made a trade that should address that for next year,” Epstein said. “Victor is about as good as you’re going to get.”

Epstein also alluded to the fact that this is considered a weak free agent market. Next year, however, the Red Sox could be big players because many of their own stars will have expiring contracts, including David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon.

“I think it might be one more chance for this group of players to go out and win the whole thing,” Epstein said.

Ortiz, who was batting .185 with one homer and 18 RBIs on June 1, finished with a .238 average, 28 homers and 99 RBIs for the season. Epstein said he hoped that the big slugger would be able to build off the strong four months and avoid the stumbles of the early part of the season.

“If he’s going to be the DH on out team, then we need him to be a force,” Epstein said. “We’re a different team when he is that force.”

In a day-after discussion with reporters, Epstein also said:

• The team would be “comfortable” having Alex Gonzalez back at shortstop, but Jed Lowrie will be considered. Lowrie won the starting job in spring training this year but lasted less than a week before needing wrist surgery.

“This is a player we believe in,” Epstein said. “At some point the player has to get healthy to show what he can do. Now it’s on him, he’s got to get healthy.”

• He would try to build a more balanced team instead of one that batted .284 at home and .257 on the road. “We’ll take a look and see if there’s a way to improve that,” he said.

The Red Sox have fewer questions in the rotation, where they have Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka returning. Tim Wakefield, who could be back under a $4 million team option, “is in our plans” to make some starts, Epstein said.

Buchholz, who spent most of the season in the minor leagues, came up and won six of his last seven starts to earn a spot in the postseason rotation — and beyond.

“I feel like I did show these guys this is where I belong,” he said. “It’s going to feel good going into spring training knowing I have a legitimate shot to make this team, instead of hoping.”