« PawSox 3, Clippers 1
Main
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Trade deadline special »

Baseball Today: Tuesday, July 31

And here goes, with our belated roundup:

D-DAY: The trade deadline is at 4 today, and here folks in New England are, talking about the Celtics. Go figure. Sean McAdam today outlines the various scenarios that could lead to a Red Sox trade today, but the bottom line is that as of last night, Boston had not found a deal to its liking.

DYE WATCH: The Globe reports that, according to one major league source, there is still a good chance of Boston landing a deal for Jermaine Dye. According to Gordon Edes' story, the White Sox are willing to take Wily Mo Pena, and now it comes down to what else the Red Sox are willing to offer. The Chicago Tribune reports that the White Sox made a roster move that could set the stage for a two-for-one deal involving Dye.

THEY'RE TRYING: In the Herald, Jeff Horrigan details the Sox' efforts to land Dye and Eric Gagne, and says that while the team absolutely will not part with Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz or Justin Masterson, there are conflicting reports about Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen and Michael Bowden.

LEADING BIDDERS: In Sports Illustrated, Jon Heyman says the Sox are leading the way in the race for Gagne.

ART OF THE DEAL: Nick Cafardo writes today that Bill Walsh, a baseball fan, would have loved today (Boston Globe).

CAUTIOUS YANKS: Meanwhile, The New York Post reports that the Yankees appear likely to stand pat, unless they can find takers for Kyle Farnsworth or Scott Proctor. The Daily News says that the Yankees are making a "big push" to land Gagne, but that the team is unwilling to give up any of its top-notch pitching prospects. Instead, the Bombers are supposedly offering a member of this year's early-season cast of starting-pitcher posers (Chase Wright, Tyler Clippard, Matt DeSalvo) along with Proctor. The Daily News says the Mets are in the Gagne sweepstakes, as well.

BUT THEY MIGHT DO THIS: The Yanks may be in discussions with the Dodgers about trading Proctor for Wilson Betemit, an infielder who could play at first. The Post quotes one National League scout as saying that if Boston brings in Gagne to set up Jonathan Papelbon, the A.L. East race is over.

NO MAS: Twins players are bummed out over the team's decision to trade Luis Castillo, saying it is a sign that Minnesota has thrown in the towel (Minneapolis Star Tribune).

MANNY IS TOPS: Manny Ramirez (.393, three home runs, 10 RBI) is baseball's player of the week (Boston Herald).

BULLPEN HELP: Mike Timlin is expected to be available to pitch tonight (Boston Herald).

THE BALL'S IN THEIR COURT: In The New York Post, Steve Serby speculates that Yankee fans -- and how they embrace or fail to embrace him from here on out -- could hold the key to Alex Rodriguez's decision on whether to stay in pinstripes.

MILESTONES: In Milwaukee, Tom Glavine goes for his 300th victory tonight (N.Y. Daily News). And, of course, Barry Bonds tries to tie Hank Aaron's record in Los Angeles. In an op-ed piece in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, economist J.C. Bradbury explains why folks should cheer for Barry. On the flip side, Bill Plaschke reminds us in the L.A. Times why Dodgers fans have more reason to boo Bonds than most.

A'S STILL NUMBER ONE: While the Giants continue to get most of the press, the Athletics may be the best-postitioned of the two Bay Area teams to return to contention -- despite the Giants' much-touted young arms. (San Francisco Chronicle)

SANCHEZ'S WOES:Anibal Sanchez is at odds with the Marlins over his May demotion to the minor leagues. The players union has filed a grievance on behalf of Sanchez, whom the Sox sent to Florida after the 2005 season as part of their package for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, saying that Florida improperly demoted an injured player. (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

LEGAL TROUBLE: Speaking of the Marlins, their 2003 first-round draft pick, pitcher Jeff Allison, is being extradited to North Carolina to face drug and larceny charges (Palm Beach Post). The Marlins last week placed Allison on the restricted list because of a "legal issue."

HANCOCK SUIT DROPPED: An attorney for Josh Hancock's father, Dean, has agreed to drop a lawsuit that sought to partially blame a host of people for the death of the former Cardinals pitcher. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

LAME AND FORTUNE: The Phillies won another game last night, Brett Myers picked up his first save in more than two months, but the club lost two outfielders -- Shane Victorino and the promising Michael Bourn -- to injuries (Philadelphia Daily News). Both are day to day for now.

Keep an eye on the blog today for the latest as we count down to the deadline.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:41 AM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink