Martinez knew the Indians were going to trade him. On July 29, they sent ace pitcher Cliff Lee to the Phillies for four prospects, so as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline neared, it made little sense for them to cling to Martinez, a switch-hitting slugger who would be a welcome fit in the middle of any contender’s lineup.

Every day, he got phone calls and text messages from family and friends who wanted to pass along a new rumor or ask if he’d heard anything definitive.

“It’s not fun,” Martinez told the Boston Herald. “I mean, especially when it’s your first organization and you have everything there.

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein is looking to upgrade the bullpen as the team has had poor middle relief from Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima over the last few weeks. 

Epstein has reportedly considered many names such as Rafael Perez, Will Ohman, Mike Gonzalez, Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, Kerry Wood, Kyle Farnsworth, and David Aardsma as possible targets. 

Arguably the top reliever available with Matt Capps heading the Twins is Blue Jays relief pitcher Scott Downs.  Downs, has an impressive 2.34 ERA in 47 games for Toronto.  However, the Blue Jays are asking for either Casey Kelly or Jose Iglesias for Downs, a price that they are not willing to pay.

Even with the unlikely acquisition of Downs, the Red Sox still have other options that could come much cheaper.

One name that hasn’t been mentioned at all and who has numbers better than Downs and is also a left handed pitcher is Chicago Cubs reliever Sean Marshall.

Marshall, has been the Cubs primary bridge to Carlos Marmol. This season, Marshall has put up a 6-3 record with an amazing 1.71 ERA in 53 appearances. 

Marshall’s name has not come up at all in trade rumors, and the Red Sox could make a serious run at him.  Unlike Downs, Marshall’s price tag is likely a lot lower.

The Sox have been looking for a set up man along with Daniel Bard to pitch and hand the ball off to Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning.  Their current middle relievers besides Bard are Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima, who both have an ERA over 5.

Marshall is by far the best fit right now for the Sox as a reliever.

The Sox have also been looking into a possibility of bringing in an outfielder to hold down the fort in left field until Jacoby Ellsbury returns. 

Names such as Jayson Werth and Corey Hart have been thrown around, but both are unlikely to move at this point.

However, a guy that no one has really paid attention to who is having an all right season and is a real bargain is Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, Marshall’s teammate.

Fukudome, has been forced into a pinch hitting role in Chicago in favor of Xavier Nady.  This season, he has a .250 AVG with 8 HR and 26 RBIs. 

The Red Sox have previously shown interest in Fukudome, but were not a fan of his salary.

However, due to lack of interest, the Cubs have tried to draw the Sox back in by offering to pay for most of Fukudome’s 2010 salary as they have been trying to trade him since June.

A Marshall and Fukudome deal for the Sox could be a real bargain and probably their best option to get better at this point.

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Milwaukee Brewer Trevor Hoffman isn’t available at this year’s trade deadline, but that didn’t stop Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein from asking after the closer he first met while working for the San Diego Padres, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Not remotely effective this season, Hoffman owns a 6.82 ERA over 33 innings and joins a nearly all-inclusive group of relievers that the Red Sox are pursuing in the final days leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline this Saturday.

Today, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reviewed all the relievers the Red Sox have reportedly sought over the past month. The list includes Matt Capps, Scott Downs, Kyle Farnsworth, Mike Gonzalez, Sean Marshall, Will Ohman, Rafael Perez, Kerry Wood, Michael Wuertz, and former Red Sox David Aardsma and Craig Breslow.

True to his word, Epstein has been scouring rosters for available bullpen help. Despite injuries to outfielders, catchers, infielders and starters alike, the Red Sox might would be closer than seven games back in the American League East if they had an effective bullpen.

The 2010 Red Sox pen’s weaker components have blown 14 saves and allowed a Major League-worst 43 homers en route to a 4.42 ERA. This is frighteningly close to the Orioles’ 4.47 mark. Journeyman Scott Atchison (4.05 ERA), trade-candidate Ramon Ramirez (4.57 ERA), flame-thrower Manny Delcarmen (4.86 ERA), and southpaw Hideki Okajima (5.81 ERA) are the primary underperformers.

The Red Sox must make at least one move for a reliever before the deadline if they are to compete through August and into September. The next 48 hours could decide Boston’s 2010 fate.

If you’d like to kno w as soon as Peter’s Red Sox articles have posted, you can follow him on Twitter at BoSoxUpdate.

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Red Sox All-Star third baseman Adrian Beltre could fetch a “nice haul” on the trading block this week, according to MLBTradeRumors.com’s Tim Dierkes. While Dierkes cautions trade mongers that Boston wouldn’t “go there” unless they believed the 2010 team had “no chance,” he also suggests Beltre could be worth more than any other Red Sox were he made available.

The Red Sox are at a fascinating and unpredictable crossroads at the 2010 trade deadline.

As Dierkes quips, a deal sending Adrian Gonzalez to Boston was supposed to be the “non-stop” topic right now. Indeed, the Red Sox and Padres have swapped roles. Sitting atop the National League West, San Diego is shopping while third-place Boston is caught between a habitual buyer’s mentality and 2010’s reality.

Although Boston is far from throwing in the towel on 2010, the pressure is on to make a decision regarding Beltre.

If the Red Sox front office comes to believe 2010 isn’t Boston’s year, they would miss a major opportunity not trading Beltre, who is sure to decline a $10 million player option for 2011.

When the Red Sox signed Beltre during the offseason, it seemed to many that Theo Epstein overpaid for the Mariners’ Gold Glove third baseman. However, after a nearly career season in Boston, Beltre will be looking for a big raise at the end of 2010.

This season, the 31-year-old All Star is hitting .333 with 16 homers and a 925 OPS. Defensively, Beltre is continuing to dominate the hot corner and currently owns a 12.5 UZR/150.

The Red Sox could keep Beltre through the season’s end. Then, either pay up on a deal around four years and $60 million or let him sign elsewhere and collect their draft picks.

On the other hand, Beltre could net top talent over the next few days. Purely speculating, but Minnesota might make an excellent match, and the Red Sox might be able to pry away top catching prospect Wilson Ramos. Other pieces might be necessary, but such a deal wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.

If you’d like to kno w as soon as Peter’s Red Sox articles have posted, you can follow him on Twitter at BoSoxUpdate.

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The Red Sox Sox currently sit 5.5 games behind Tampa Bay for the wild card spot and 7.5 behind the Yankees in the AL East.

The gap is by no means insurmountable, and the Sox would sure benefit from a big bat or depth at, well, virtually every spot on the roster.

However, GM Theo Epstein should not pull off a trade for a Jayson Werth or scour the league for a middle reliever like he seemingly does every year (see Wagner, Billy and Gagne, Eric [shudder]).

This is not the year for the Red Sox, and so Boston should instead become a seller.

Even if the Red Sox were to make it into the playoffs, the team has suffered too many injuries and just doesn’t have the roster to truly contend.

If everyone got healthy fast and made it back to their top form, of course, then this is a whole different ballgame (pun intended). But what are the chances of that?

Call me a pessimist, but it’s just not their year. I’m certain Epstein won’t sell, simply because pressure from the fans will be too much, but it doesn’t hurt to speculate.

Who to sell? 

1. Jonathan Papelbon

Papelbon hasn’t been in top form this entire season, but the Sox could certainly get back a few solid prospects in return for their closer of the past five years. Daniel Bard is the closer of the future, and to be honest, he might just be a better option right now.

2. Adrian Beltre

It’s scary to imagine how the already-depleted Sox lineup would look without the All-Star third baseman, but Beltre’s contract is up at the end of this season, and he will be receiving lucrative offers in the coming offseason. If the Sox don’t think they want to get into a bidding war, they could move Beltre to a contender now in exchange for an exciting young player who could join the Major League roster for the rest of the year. 

3. Ramon Ramirez/Manny Delcarmen 

Neither middle relievers have had fantastic years, and both names have been popping up in trade rumors. Every season, there are teams out there looking to bolster their ‘pen at the deadline.

4. Jacoby Ellsbury

The injury drama goes on, and the Sox really do not seem to pleased with how Ellsbury’s season has gone. His character and desire have come into question, and in the trade market he’d command a hefty return. With Ryan Kalish tearing up AAA, the Sox may turn to him as the center fielder of the future, and part ways with the once-untouchable Ellsbury. 

Who to target?

If the Sox decide to sell, there are several areas where they could benefit from a youth movement.

1. Catcher

The Red Sox have long sought a young catcher of the future, but haven’t made any deals. With the acquisition of a catcher who could start on opening day of next year, the Sox could look at moving Victor Martinez to first full time (thus getting more offensive production and elongating his career) and moving Youkilis back to third (let’s assume Beltre was traded or signed elsewhere).

2. Outfielder

With the injuries suffered by the Sox outfield this year, their lack of depth at the position has been exposed. While Darnell McDonald and Daniel Nava have filled in admirably, they are only short-term stopgaps. Mike Cameron is 56, I mean 37, and is by no means a long-term member of the ball club.

3. Reliever 

The ERAs of Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen, and Ramon Ramirez are 5.81, 5.00, and 4.69, respectively. Bard (1.86) has been the only reliable arm in the pen and is pegged to be the closer of the future. When he makes that move, there will be space to be filled by a set up man or lefty specialist. 

I don’t know enough about the minor leagues to follow names to target, but it is my conviction that the Sox have no realistic shot at a 2010 title. Instead, they should look to the future, and build a solid, youthful team for years to come.

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One team that will most certainly make a move, and is in no way a stranger to this time of year, is the Boston Red Sox.

This season, the Sox have been plagued by numerous injuries.  However, somehow the team has been able to post a 57-44 record, which is good enough for third place in the always competitive A.L East and good enough to still be in postseason contention.

With key pieces like Victor Martinez, Clay Buchholz, and Josh Beckett back and Dustin Pedroia and hopefully Jacoby Ellsbury on the way, the Red Sox may pass on adding offense.

However, the Boston’s real problem lately has been in the middle relief. 

The Sox gave away one, and almost two games, to the Seattle Mariners in their four game series a few days ago because of bad performances from Hideki Okajima and Manny Delcarmen, after a strong performance from starter Daisuke Matsuzaka and a near no-no from John Lackey.

The bottom line is that the Red Sox need a reliever come this deadline, preferably a left handed reliever.  And they want one that won’t fail as bad as Eric Gagne did a few years ago.

The person who fits that bill perfectly is Blue Jays reliever Scott Downs, who was made available by Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos earlier this month.

This year has been a career year for Downs.  In a middle relief role for Toronto, Downs has a 4-5 record, with a 2.34 ERA.  Downs also hasn’t given up an earned run in his last ten outings.  This compared to Okajima and Delcarmen, who both lead into tonight’s ball game with an ERA over five and a combined 15 runs in their last ten appearances.

Another thing about Downs, he’s left handed.

So with the Red Sox in need of a left handed 7th inning reliever who can limit walks and runs and build the bridge for Bard and Papelbon in the 8th and 9th innings, Downs and the Red Sox are a match made in heaven in a thin left-handed market.

According to sources, Toronto is demanding a “huge return” for Downs, but their demands are likely to go down as we inch closer to the deadline.

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