July 31 2007.....Trading Deadline Day

The trading deadline at 4pm today is only a little less than 10 hours away, and the two names most associated with the Red Sox are right-handed outfielder Jermaine Dye and right-handed closer/reliever Eric Gagne. But Theo, very willing to trade Wily Mo Pena in a package for Dye, is NOT willing to part with Justin Masterson or Manny Delcarmen, both of whom are coveted by the White Sox. As for Gagne, the Rangers would want either Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester or Jacoby Ellsbury. Three words.....NO WAY JOSE! So the Red Sox just might stand pat. And there are worse things that could happen. With an 8 game lead over the Yankees and the New York club about 10 days away from a very tough and brutal part of their schedule, no emergency moves are needed. The Sox are getting back a healthy Curt Schilling in 6 days, and that's just like landing a top echelon trading deadline prize. He will cement the rotation, with Gabbard OR Lester (right now, it might depend on their next starts), for the stretch run through September. And believe me, Curt will be ready. Right from the get go. It's HIS time to shine. And that's not one of my hunches.....it's a fact to be.

The Red Sox are ready to play the Orioles, who have been tough lately, in a three game set at Fenway starting tonight. Here are the pitching matchups.......

Erik Bedard (10-4, 3.05 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett (13-4, 3.27) tonight
Steve Trachsel (5-7, 5.26) vs. Kason Gabbard (4-0, 3.73) Wednesday
Jeremy Guthrie (7-3, 2.89) vs. Tim Wakefield (12-9, 4.59) Thursday

And congratulations go out to Manny Ramirez for being named AL player of the week. His stats? He hit .393 with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs. Well done, Manny. Now if Papi could get hot, watch out American League.
Enjoy your Tuesday, and click on this post's title for an article written by the Globe's Gordon Edes, all about the Sox search for a right-handed slugger. And it's T minus 9 hours 35 minutes to the trading deadline as I type these words. If anything happens, you'll read about it right here. And that's a promise.