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The Peavy Trade: Favor Or Oppose?
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Lifetime Ban For A-Rod Could Come On Friday

According to Craig Calcaterra of NBCSports HardballTalk, Major League Baseball is prepared to slap Alex Rodriguez with a lifetime ban if the Yankee third baseman fails to agree to a disciplinary settlement in the Biogenesis case. According to Calcaterra, either the "settled-on" or "unilaterally-imposed" sanctions are likely to be handed down this Friday. While MLB concedes that an appeal of the lifetime ban would likely result in less of a penalty—they strongly feel it would be in the 150-game range they are offering as a settlement. The ball is now firmly in the court of The Fraudulent One.

A Second Opinion On The Jake Peavy Trade

by Larry Shiman, FN Board

There is pretty strong consensus on last night's trade that it was a good deal for the Red Sox. They needed pitching, and gave up someone that—while talented—is probably expendable. I agree with all of that. A few things need to be said, however:

Sox Looking Into SD Reliever Luke Gregerson

Luke, Can You Travel Farther? (Getty Images)

The Red Sox have been scouring the reliever market for several days now. According to the Globe's Nick Cafardo, Boston's latest target may be San Diego RHP Luke Gregerson. The 29-year old Gregerson has been good this year—posting a 2.91 ERA in 43 1/3 innings of work for the Padres. Batters are hitting just .217 off him this year. Here's some Gregerson Trivia: he holds the major league record for holds in a season.

Has Door Re-Opened For Michael Young Trade?

Young And Restless? (AP Photo)

UPDATE: Young Deal 'Doubtful'
In a complete contradiction of what Red Sox GM Ben Cherington told the media last night, it appears that Boston may be back on track for acquiring third baseman Michael Young. According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Young has backtracked on his position that he only wanted to be traded to the Rangers. This morning, he says he would accept a deal to the Red Sox. This would explain not promoting Will Middlebrooks from AAA—who seems like a better option than Young at this stage. Curious! Stay tuned, sports fans!

BenCher: Not Looking For Infield Help Via Trade

Imminent XanderMania At Fenway?

In the wake of the trade for Jake Peavy, Red Sox GM Ben Cherignton met with the media. An important nugget to come out of that session is that Boston has no plans to add infield help from outside the organization. Said Cherignton: "Nothing planned. Nothing imminent. I think as we said before we really feel like there are enough infielders here in the organization between Boston and Pawtucket that we can get good production from the left side of our infield." So, look for Will Middlebrooks to be back at third base very soon, with Xander Bogaerts backing up both Middlebrooks and Stephen Drew (much the same way Iglesias performed those duties). Figure on Brock Holt or Brandon Snyder to be the odd man out in the new configuration.

Next Day: Evaluating The Peavy-Iglesias Trade

Now that The Nation has had a few hours to sleep on it, we can now begin evaluating the trade pulled off by Red Sox GM Ben Cherington last night. Reportedly, the third team in (Detroit) was a late entry into the process and allowed Boston to take less of hit than they otherwise would have in a straight two-way deal with the White Sox. In any event, the Carmine Hose lost: SS Jose Iglesias, and minor leaguers Cleulius Rondon (INF), Francelis Montas (P) and Jeffery Wendelken (P). Unless one of these lesser lights catches fire, parting with Iglesias will be the only serious downside. He has the potential to be an All-Star shortstop for years to come—with the best defensive skills in baseball at that position. But, the organization has legitimate depth at the position—Xander Bogaerts and Deven Marrero—so it makes sense to sell high on Iggy. He will be missed. Anyone who saw the quick hands he displayed at third base the other night on an amazing double play will know what we mean. Boston also got a reliever from the Tigers, Brayan Villarreal. The 26-year old reliever was abysmal in limited action for Detroit this year. So, now the big prize—Jake Peavy. The 32-year old righty (and former Cy Young winner) is 8-4 so far this year, with a 4.28 ERA. His career marks are 128-97 with a 3.49 ERA. And, in what we consider the most important hurler stat—he's given up 231 fewer hits than innings pitched. He has post-season experience (good news), but he's got a 12.10 ERA over 9 2/3 playoff innings (bad news). However, he is a fierce competitor and can certainly withstand the silliness that is Boston baseball. All things considered, we applaud BenCher for a shrewd move. He did have to give up some value, but he was able to limit the damage and got back a commodity the team sorely needs.

Red Sox Take 'Workman-Like' Win Over M's, 8-2

Brandon Workman Working (FenwayNation Photo)

This was was pretty much a cake-walk from the second inning on, as Boston man-handled Joe Saunders and the Mariners on the way to an 8-2 victory. The win allowed Boston to keep pace with the Rays, who also won. Rookie starter Brandon Workman had yet another impressive outing—going six innings and giving up just one earned run. He had a mid-90s fastball and a devastating 76 MPH curveball stymieing the M's all night. The offense was powered by Jacoby Ellsbury (solo HR), Dustin Pedroia (2-R HR) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2 R-HR).

REPORT: Peavy To Boston For Iglesias In 3-Way

Multiple reports indicate that the Red Sox have acquired starting pitcher Jake Peavy from the White Sox in a three-way deal that will send SS Jose Iglesias to the Tigers. Detroit prospect Avisail Garcia will go to Chicago. Iglesias was pulled from tonight's game in the ninth inning. Apparently, Boston is committing to bringing up Will Middlebrooks to play third and possibly Xander Bogaerts to rotate with Stephen Drew at SS.

Bud Selig May Use 'Nuclear Option' On A-Rod

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is reserving the possibility of disciplining Alex Rodriguez under the 'integrity of the game' clause of the Basic Agreement between the league and the players' union. This avenue would obviate the standard appeals process that would hold under the joint drug agreement. Under the "integrity" rubric, only Selig himself (theoretically) could hear an appeal by The Fraudulent One. This invocation of the Commissioner's powers (sometimes tabbed "The Nuclear Option") would fit with Selig's desire to punish Rodriguez for what he feels was an obstruction of the Biogenesis investigation—in addition to his PED use. What fun.

Rumored Red Sox Deal With Miami Smells Fishy

Stanton To Fenway? Not Likely.

MLB.com's beat writer in "The Fun And Sun Capital of The World" (Joe Frisaro) is throwing out a "fishing line" to Boston fans about a potential blockbuster deal between Miami and the Carmine Hose. Are you ready? Boston would send "four or five" of its top prospects to the Marlins for 23-year old slugger Giancarlo "Don't Call Me Mike" Stanton. While snaring Stanton would be exciting, there is no way that Ben Cherington would ever part with a package of Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, Jr. , Allen Webster and Henry Owens. Let's throw in the lease to Fenway Park while we're at it. Maybe we can even ship the Green Monster (the wall, not Wally) down to South Beach so the 'beautiful people' can play handball off it. With all due respect to Mr. Frisaro, he should get out of the heat—it's affecting his judgement.

Are The Red Sox 'Favorties' To Land Cliff Lee?

(AP Photo)

A number of recent reports—some more credible than others—are suggesting that despite denials from both sides, the Red Sox and Phillies are prepping a deal that would send Cliff Lee to Boston. Andy Martino of the New York Daily News claims that "informed speculation" by a "well-connected" source says that—despite the high asking price (read: Xander Bogaerts)—the Carmine Hose are the favorites to land Lee. We would be shocked if the prospect-hoarding Ben Cherington gives up his no-miss #1 guy. However, other voices (most notably FOX's Ken Rosenthal) say it would be worth parting with Bogaerts to get Lee. It should be an interesting 24 hours or so.

Red Sox Looking At Colorado RP Josh Outman

(Jamie Sabau, Getty Images)

Maybe the rumors about the Red Sox flipping newly-acquired (and disappointing) LHP Matt Thornton are right. Why else would Boston be hot in pursuit of Colorado LHP Josh Outman? Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post reports that both the Indians and Red Sox are after Outman—who has held left-handed batters to a .224 average this year. The 28-year old is also contractually under control for the next two years—right up BenCher's alley. Thornton may be part of a bigger deal soon. Stay tuned!

Ex-Red Sox Hurler Frank Castillo Dies At Age 44

(Winslow Townson/AP)

In the wake of yesterday's shocking news about the death of former Red Sox first baseman George Scott, it was announced today that Frank Castillo—who pitched for Boston from 2001-2004—also passed away yesterday at age 44. Castillo perished in a drowning accident on a lake in Arizona. Castillo pitched in 64 games for Boston (mostly as a starter), compiling a 4.66 ERA. Although he did not contribute much during their first championship season in 86 years (only one inning pitched), Castillo did receive a 2004 World Series ring. RIP.

Rays Official Twitter Feed Goes Bush League

Maybe there's a reason why no one shows up to watch baseball in Tampa Bay—other than the fact that they play in a warehouse made out of white Hefty bags. The real reason might be that they're embarrassed by the Rays bush league management team—you know, the one that tweeted out juvenile taunts in its official feed last night. After the Red Sox were served their 'last supper' by Jerry Meals, the 13-year-olds running the Rays Twitter account typed this: "Dear @RedSox scoreboard operator—your standings are wrong. Yours truly, @RaysBaseball" Wow, they're regular Shecky Greens down there!! Justifiably, the official Sox account people shot back: "Don't worry @RaysBaseball we look forward to seeing you in Tampa in September for our home games at the Trop." Boo-yeah!

Umpire Malpractice Drops Red Sox Into Second

Daniel Nava Safe At Home; Jerry Meals Clueless

It's not so much that home plate umpire Jerry Meals blew a call that cost the Red Sox a win. Umpires are human—they blow calls. It's more that Meals was completely out of position and could not possibly have made the proper call. The bottom line is that Daniel Nava—in fact—scored the tying run (see photo). It's just that Jerry Meals couldn't see it. As a result, the Rays took a tainted 2-1 victory over Boston—dropping the Carmine Hose into second place. David Price had stymied the Red Sox through seven plus innings—but after a 39-minute delay, he could only face one batter in the eighth. Ryan Lavarnway doubled off reliever Joel Peralta, and Nava went in to pinch run. Another double by Stephen Drew should have plated Nava before the disputed play, but he waited too long between second and third and could not score. Bring on the controversy! A fly ball by Brandon Snyder should have tied the game, but Meals completely blew the call and Boston's ninth inning rally fell short as well. Game. Set. First Place. Gross umpire malpractice. Almost exactly two years ago (July 26th, 2011), Meals blew another call at home in a 19-inning Braves/Pirates game. Then, he called Julio Lugo safe, and replays clearly showed he was out. Same ump, same mistake. Here's a thought—bench Meals every year in the last week of July.

A-Rod Lawyer: He'll Appeal Any Suspension

Well, the proverbial gauntlet has been thrown down. Any hopes MLB had that Alex Rodriguez would be reasonable and accept a suspension until the start of the 2015 season have been dashed by The Fraudulent One's lawyer. David Cornwell told ESPN that "...my expectation is that we'll be working toward an appeal." Really? Hello, lifetime ban.

No Suspension For David Ortiz In PhoneGate

Re-Thinking Possible

According to the Globe's Nick Cafardo, MLB has decided not to suspend (or otherwise punish) David Ortiz for his attack on an defenseless bullpen phone on Saturday. Apparently, it was a close call (pun definitely intended), but you've gotta think that Bud Selig has a few more pressing items on his agenda today. Refreshingly, the bad call by the umpire actually factored into the decision. Alexander Graham Bell could not be reached for comment.

Why A Short-Term A-Rod Ban Helps Red Sox

As tempting as it is to contemplate a lifetime ban for Alex Rodriguez, that eventuality is not really in the best interest of the Boston Red Sox. Why? Because a lifetime ban would likely allow The Bronx Embalmers to recoup the roughly $60 million that would be left on The Fraudulent One's contract. Armed with an extra $60 million or so, the Steinbrenner Spawn could effectively re-build The Evil Ones. If A-Fraud is suspended for just this year and next (balance of 2013 and all of 2014), he'd be eligible to play again in 2015—and guess who he's still under contract to? Even better, if Rodriguez appeals the suspension, he could be in the Yankee lineup by the end of this week. Ah, schadenfreude!

REPORT: Red Sox All-Star 1B George Scott Dies

George 'Boomer' Scott

According to Baseball America's Jim Callis, former Red Sox first baseman, three-time All-Star and 8-time Gold Glove winner George Scott has passed away. In nine seasons with Boston, Scott hit .257 with 154 home runs (or "taters" as he called them). Scott wore a batting helmet while fielding at first, because of experiences with road fans throwing objects at him during his career. He was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1971 as part of a mega-deal that brought Tommy Harper and Marty Pattin to the Red Sox. He came back to the Carmine Hose in 1977 for Cecil Cooper. Known as "Boomer" in his days at Fenway Park, Scott was just 69 years old. RIP. (Audio: WEEI interview 7/30/12)

FenwayNation On Air!—WDEV RadioVermont

FenwayNation Editor-In-Chief Ernie Paicopolos was a guest last night on Jeff Fuller's live sports talk show (SCORE - The Sunday Night Special Edition) on WDEV radio in Waterbury, Vermont. Jeff and Ernie discussed a wide range of Red Sox and Patriots topics—including potential moves the Red Sox might make at the trade deadline, and the impact of the Aaron Hernandez situation on the vetting process of professional sports teams. In a rare moment of full disclosure, Paicopolos also admitted that he was completely wrong about the 2013 Red Sox. That alone was worth the price of admission. This is FenwayNation's fourth appearance on Jeff's program. You can check out his blog HERE. We look forward to appearing on the show again soon to discuss the fate of the Carmine Hose in the post-season. See, we can be positive!

Boston Herald Jumps Into Internet Radio World

The Boston Herald, the only major Hub daily with a pulse, is launching a new Internet radio service next week. Boston Herald Radio will feature a range of programming—most interestingly a dedicated sports talk show with former WEEI FlashBoy Jon Meterparel and former MASN reporter and Boston native Jen Royle. Unlike the Globe's Internet radio offering (RadioBDC), the Herald's model looks like it will actually offer interesting content. The Globe's idea of exciting radio is moronic "alternative" music programming and tie-ins with WGBH (perhaps the only other local outlet more boring than the Globe). The Herald is also offering its content on popular smartphone apps like TuneIn Radio—so people might actually listen at work or in their car. Hey, we'll give 'Meter' a listen.

A-Deal From Selig: Out Until '15 Or Lifetime Ban

STEVEN J. NESIUS PHOTO

Alex Rodriguez has a choice (call it a Butch Hobson's choice if you must): accept MLB's offer of a suspension until the start of the 2015 season or be slapped with a lifetime ban from baseball. Despite reports that The Fraudulent One is sticking to his "innocence" story and vowing to fight a suspension, cooler heads in his camp are likely to prevail. He could take the short-term suspension and still have the possibility of collecting some of the remaining $100 million on his contract. A lifetime ban would probably take The Evil Ones off the hook for any more compensation. Look for a resolution either late this afternoon or early Tuesday. Once again, this could not happen to a more deserving guy.

Red Sox Are Still In Jake Peavy Sweepstakes

Back On Sox Radar?

According to Jeff Passan of YAHOO! Sports, the Red Sox are "very much in" the running to get White Sox starter Jake Peavy. This is directly contrary to most reports over the weekend. Passan claims that—while still not the favorites to land Peavy—Boston is "motivated" and has the best package of prospects to offer Chicago. Peavy has a 4.28 ERA over 80 innings  of work this year. This could be a crucial watershed moment for Ben Cherington, who is undoubtedly feeling the pressure from ownership to deal away some of his cherished prospects to bolster this year's chances. It will be interesting to see who wins the internal struggle.

Will Middlebrooks: 'I Want To Stay With Boston'

(Providence Journal Photo)

Will Middlebrooks has probably heard the rumors, too. Almost every discussed Red Sox deal has included the young third baseman as—at the very least—an option. Despite his struggles earlier this year, he has shown that he can be productive at the big league level. That has value for a lot of teams. So, it's probably no surprise that Middlebrooks recently told the Providence Journal's Tim Britton that he wants to keep his Carmine Hose. Said Middlebrooks, "I've been with them since I was 18. Everyone in this organization means a lot to me. I'd love to stay here and play my career here. I mean, everybody wants to play in the Bostons, the New Yorks, the Phillys—with the big-market teams, to win on that stage....You want to be on that team that everyone wants to beat." If he isn't dealt, Middlebrooks might have another opportunity in Boston before the year is out. With Jose Iglesias coming back to Earth a bit, a potent right-handed bat on the left side of the infield would be very welcome.

Papi Answers The Call; Sox Back In 1st, Win, 5-0

(Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

David Ortiz went long distance today—and this time the phone company was OK with it. The Boston DH cranked out his 20th HR—along with three other hits—helping power Boston back into first place with a 5-0 win. Jon Lester did his part—capturing his 10th win of 2013 with seven shutout innings. The lefty gave up just four hits, struck out eight and walked just two. He lowered his ERA to 4.27 on the year. In addition to Papi's offensive heroics, Jarrod Saltalamacchia delivered a clutch bases-loaded hit, scoring two in the eighth. The Red Sox once again boast the most wins in baseball (63), as they come home for Monday's make-up game against David Price and the now second-place Rays.

A-Rod's Day Of Reckoning To Come This Week?

SIPKIN/NEWS

Indications are very strong that Major League Baseball will announce the remaining Biogeneis-related suspensions this upcoming week. That means Alex Rodriguez—depending upon any deal that might have been cut—could be banned from baseball for life, until the 2015 season or the balance of this season. None of those scenarios are good for The Fraudulent One, who will again be humiliated by the game he supposedly loves so much. Joel Sherman and Ken Davidoff of The New York Post are jointly reporting today that MLB wants to do the suspensions now so that some players can accept the penalty for the balance of 2013—and be less likely to appeal. In addition to Ryan Braun, there are thought to be 19 more players associated with the disgraced Florida "wellness" clinic.

Sox Looking To 'Stay Classy' With Padres Trio?

The San Diego Padres are looking to unload talent as it gradually dawns on management that they will miss the post-season for yet another year. While they claim third-baseman Chase Headley is untouchable, his sub-par 2013 says otherwise. Reliever Luke Gregerson, who has had a monster 2013, is available—along with starter Edinson Volquez. Boston may look to the Padres to fill many (if not all) of its holes in one fell swoop. One could envision a deal that would send—say, Will Middlebrooks and two to three prospects— to San Diego for some combination of Headley, Gregerson and Volquez. Old friend and current Padre GM Josh Byrnes still knows the Boston prospect crop well and has shown a willingness to deal with his old employer before (e.g., the Adrian Gonzalez deal).

Sox May Be In On Cubs RHP Jeff Samardzija

AP Photo

Multiple reports suggest that the Cubs might unload yet another of their starters (after trading Matt Garza) by offering up big RHP Jeff Samardzija. Word is that Samardzija would fetch at least two top prospects from any organization seeking him—so it will be interesting to see if BenCher bites on this after losing out on the prospect-free transaction of Cuban defector Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez to the Phillies. In addition to Boston, the Braves and Diamondbacks have shown interest. The 28-year old, 6'5" Samardzija has a 6-9 record this year with the Cubbies—sporting a respectable 3.94 ERA.

Big Papi's Disagreement With Bullpen Phone

Red Sox 'Drew Up' A Victory; Then Got One, 7-3

(AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Stephen Drew has basically been mired in a season-long batting slump—until Saturday night. Drew went 3 for 4 with three runs scored and five RBIs—four of which came on his two HRs. Shane Victorino also homered in the 7-3 Boston win—that kept the team within 1/2 game of the AL East lead. Ryan Dempster pitched just well enough to win—going 5 1/3 innings and yielding just two earned runs. Mike Carp started in left and went 3 for 4—raising his season average to .329. Carp has played in just 55 games, but sports an OPS of 1.010 while slugging .622. David Ortiz was ejected in the seventh for arguing balls and strikes—then went on a rampage in the dugout, smashing the bullpen phone case and shattering his bat within inches of Dustin Pedroia. Just another night by the Inner Harbor.

Phillies Outbid Red Sox For Cuban Pitcher

So much for unlimited Red Sox resources. Boston was outbid by the Phillies for the services of Cuban defector Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. Several sources had pinned the Red Sox as the favorite, but apparently, John Henry had some other priorities as Philly outbid the Liverpool soccer magnate by $20 million (reportedly $60 million for six years versus $40 million for six years). Now, Boston has no choice but to sacrifice some top prospects to get a starter like Jake Peavy or even Cliff Lee (now that Philly has a ready substitute for the lefty). If Ben Cherington is a guest in your home today, cover the furniture.

Sox Shutout Again, 6-0; Fall Into Second Place

(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

For the third time in four games, dominant pitching performances have shut down the Red Sox offense—last night it was Chris Tillman in a 6-0 O's win. The Boston loss dropped them into second place for the first time in 60 days, falling behind the surging Rays. Tillman allowed just two hits over seven innings—as Boston's trade deadline priorities might have to also consider a potent right-handed bat. John Lackey didn't help last night—having one of his most uneven performances of the year. This AL East race is looking more and more like a sprint to the finish among the Carmine Hose, O's and Rays. One of these (or more) will miss the post-season.

Teammates Ready To Throw A-Rod Under Bus

Don't listen to all the politically-correct rhetoric coming from Yankee players about Alex Rodriguez. According to The New York Daily News, A-Fraud's Empire teammates are privately throwing him under the proverbial bus. Off-the-record, one of them stated, "Guys are just tired of it. The media circus that’s revolving around Alex is insane — and we haven’t even seen him. It just keeps going. It’s like a carousel that just keeps going around and around and around. At some point, it has to stop. I would like his bat in the lineup. We could obviously use it because the potential for some home runs would help us a lot. But with the circus that’s surrounding him right now, I don’t think anybody wants that. When it’s all said and done, you’ll hear more than enough comments from the guys in here. You’ll be able to write it for weeks." Feel the looooove!

Red Sox Claim 8 Of Top 100 MLB Prospects

MLB.com announced their re-ranking of the Top 100 Prospects in baseball today, and the Red Sox have eight players on the list. Not surprisingly, #6: Xander Bogaerts leads the way, followed by #32: Jackie Bradley Jr.,  #50: Allen Webster, #57: Henry Owens, #59: Matt Barnes, #88: Anthony Ranaudo, #91: Garin Cecchini and #95: Trey Ball. This huge level of representation is a tribute to the hard work and drafting skill of the Boston organization. Kudos!

POLL: Overwhelming Support To Keep The Kids

Early voting in our latest FenwayNation Poll shows a clear commitment to keeping the best young prospects rather than trading them away for short-term gain. As the table shows, fully 86% take this more "prudent" view, while just 14% favor trading top prospects to try and win now. You can still vote in the poll HERE.

Dan Duquette Reveals He's 'Texting For Trades'

Former Red Sox General Manager Dan Duquette (who now toils for the Birds of Baltimore) made an interesting admission today on WEEI's Mut & Merloni Show. When asked how many phone calls he'd been making in the run-up to the MLB trade deadline, Duke stated, "Actually, most of the communications these days are with text messages". What? Can you imagine the conversation that might go on between—say—BenCher and Theo via text? More troubling, what happens if the auto-correct function turns "Xander Bogaerts" into "Humphrey Bogart"? You might wind up trading a valuable asset for a dead actor. Even more troubling, what if there's a rogue Yankee fan monitoring texts for the National Security Agency? He could decide to subtly alter the terms of a prospective deal to favor The Evil Ones. Think of the possibilities! By the way, if the NSA is monitoring this, it's just a satire, guys. Hello? Hello?

ESPN's Stark: Sox Favorites On Cuban Pitcher

Gonzalez (AP Photo)

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com is reporting that the Red Sox are being considered the favorites to submit the winning bid for Cuban RHP Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. Say's Stark, "...the Red Sox are the favorite, because, more and more, they like the idea of spending the money on a guy they believe is big league-ready more than overpaying in prospects for just about any pitcher on the trade market." This plays into the new "discipline" that the Red Sox are employing with regard to prospects. It's estimated that Gonzalez will cost the winning bidder upwards for $60 million for five years.

Buy Theo's Fixer-Upper For Just $3.65 Million

You, too, can live the life of former Red Sox General Manager (and current Cubs President) Theo Epstein. His lovely little abode in Brookline (where usable parking spaces are about as sparse as registered Republicans) is for sale. If you can raid your 401K for $3.65 million, it's yours! And, it may come with a gorilla suit in the Master Bedroom closet.

Red Sox Re-Shuffle Rotation After Rainout

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Thursday's washout at Fenway offered Boston the opportunity to tweak its starting rotation for the next five days. John Lackey—who was last night's scheduled starter—will go tonight in Baltimore. He will be followed by Ryan Dempster on Saturday and Jon Lester on Sunday. Monday's make-up game with the Rays back in Fenway will be handled by Felix Doubront and rookie Brandon Workman will pitch Tuesday's opener against the Mariners.

FenwayNation POLL: Trade Deadline Strategy

Trade Deadline Poll
Would you rather trade top prospects to try to win now OR keep top prospects and take your chances with this team?	Trade prospects, win now Keep prospects,take chances
	Current Results

NMA Animation Of Ryan Braun Suspension

Evil Empire Acquires Soriano From The Cubbies

(AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Yankees have acquired outfielder (and former Pinstriped Poser) Alfonso Soriano from the Cubs for prospects. The deal only needs approval from the Commissioner's office. Soriano is hitting .254 this year with 17 home runs in 93 games for the Cubs. Since June 28th, Soriano has more home runs than the entire Yankee team. Reports suggest that Chicago will pick up about $17.7M of the $24.5M left on Soriano's contract.

A-Rod Issues Statement On Medical Controversy

Having A Meeting

The Fradulent One has come down from the mountaintop and issued the following missive today:

"I think the Yanks and I crossed signals. I don't want any more mix-ups. I'm excited and ready to play and help this team win a championship. I feel great and I'm ready and want to be in the lineup Friday night. Enough doctors, let's play."

This, after the ridiculous back-and-forth between Rodriguez and the team over conflicting diagnoses of his quad injury. In contravention of the Basic Agreement, Rodriguez sought a second opinion without informing The Evil Ones. He obviously thinks he can play tomorrow—although most Yankee fans I know don't want him anywhere near the team ever again. Gotta love it.

Former Red Sox Catcher Wedge Suffers Stroke

After last night's game, the Seattle Mariners announced that their manager—and former Red Sox catcher—Eric Wedge had suffered a "very mild stroke" after feeling light-headed during batting practice on Monday. Wedge has been released from the hospital, but will miss at least the next three series—including an upcoming trip to Boston. He is expected to make a full recovery. Wedge, 45, caught for the Red Sox in 1992 before being picked up by the Rockies in the expansion draft. He returned to finish his career with the Red Sox in a couple of games in 1994. He has managed in both Cleveland and Seattle. We all wish Eric a speedy recovery.

The Laundry Factor: How Sox Unis Impact Wins

The highly entertaining and informative website, SportsLogos.net, has come up with a unique way to gauge the success of your favorite team. Just analyze which uniforms they wear when they win and which ones they wear when they lose. OK, let's try it with the Carmine Hose in 2013. According to the site, Boston is 25-16 (.610) in its traditional white home unis, 24-20 (.545) in its standard grey road unis. Ah, but their alternate red home unis result in a 6-1 (.857) mark, while the blue alternate road laundry gets only a 3-3 (.500) record. Charity and holiday unis really have too small a sample size to mean anything. The bottom line? Both red at home and grey on the road do a lot better than the other options. Who knew?

Gammons: Red Sox Are Following Four Starters

Hall of Fame writer Peter Gammons reports that the Red Sox have scouts following four starting pitchers in advance of next Wednesday's trading deadline. The pitchers cited are: Jake Peavy, Bud Norris, Yovani Gallardo and Edinson Volquez. Additional reports (not from Gammons) are now suggesting that Will Middlebrooks—who was recently demoted to AAA—may be part of any package that nets one of these arms.

Sox Among Five Finalists For Miguel Gonzalez?

Gonzalez To Fenway?

Based on the comments by Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox seem very interested in signing 26-year old Cuban RHP Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. Appearing on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan Morning Show, Lucchino stated that Boston is looking at Gonzalez "pretty hard". The auction price for the defector from Castro's "Socialist Paradise" is around $60 million for five years. Of course, this type of signing obviates the need to trade away prized prospects for, say, a Jake Peavy or a Cliff Lee. The agent for Gonzaelz is now saying the list of landing spots is down to five teams. The Red Sox have consistently been rumored as among the top suitors.

Red Sox Still 'Intrigued' By Michael Young Deal

According to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, the Red Sox remain "intrigued" by Michael Young as a possible trade deadline acquisition. The Evil Ones are also considering Young (as both a first and third base option). Now that the Phillies have sunk to eight full games off the NL East pace (8.5 out of the Wild Card), they may be more motivated to move the 36-year old five-time All-Star. It's still unclear whether the Red Sox are looking for a blockbuster deal to bring them a starter, reliever and right-handed bat all in one package, or will nibble around the edges with a few smaller deals. Stay tuned!

De-Coding The Great Clay Buchholz Conundrum

Conflicting comments, conflicting claims, conflicting time frames—those are the basic elements that make up The Great Clay Buchholz Conundrum of 2013. What the heck is the truth? On the one hand, it appears pretty evident that every medical expert from Dr. James Andrews to Doogie Howser, M.D. (who may actually be on the Red Sox medical staff) says Buchholz is physically OK. Except, according to Buchholz, Andrews also told him he could expect to make only "4 or 5" more starts in the regular season. Huh? According to the Red Sox plan, the righty is supposed to throw three bullpen sessions, a simulated game and at least one rehab start (likely at AAA Pawtucket), and then......(you would think) re-join the Red Sox rotation. That would amount to a lot more than "4 or 5" starts. So, what is Andrews talking about? And why doesn't somebody in the Red Sox hierarchy clear this up? Obviously, whatever the truth is will have an impact on whether the team looks for another starter in the trade market. What does John Farrell say? "I look at it as those three phases along the way and whatever date that brings us to. Clay will be on the mound when he's ready. I think it's premature to start to forecast any kind of time range." Thanks for clearing that up! Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard!

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