Bobby Valentine to the Red Sox took a step closer to reality yesterday, when the former Mets’ manager said he has been in touch with the team and he would be honored to talk more with them about becoming their next manager.

Boston whiffed on Dale Sveum, who was hired by the Cubs on Thursday, as they try to replace Terry Francona. Now, new general manager Ben Cherington appears to be at least entertaining the idea of going in a significantly different direction with Valentine, a much more experienced option than Sveum.

Valentine managed the Rangers and in Japan before taking the helm of the Mets and guiding them to the 2000 World Series, where they lost to the Yankees.

“I’m looking forward to having conversations, if that’s what they want to do,” Valentine said yesterday.

Cherington took over for Theo Epstein after the Red Sox’s late-season collapse ignited a regime change.

Epstein left and is now president of the Cubs, while his former assistant Cherington has also interviewed Philadelphia bench coach Pete Mackanin, Cleveland first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Toronto first-base coach Torey Lovullo and Detroit third-base coach Gene Lamont for Francona’s old job.

With AP