Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said that, yes, there was a bit of an “empty feeling” after his front office had worked feverishly in hopes of achieving an upgrade prior to this trade deadline season, only to make two moves that added nothing to the major league club.

“In past years, we’ve been able to make trades that immediately impact our big league team and that’s a really satisfying feeling. Other years we haven’t been able to and come away with a bit of an empty feeling,” said Epstein. “Today is more the latter. It’s not the end of the story. We have August. We have a team that has the ability to get really hot as we get healthy and play our way right back to where we want to go. We have the ability to add in August as well and get contributions from our internal solutions.

“That’s not the whole story,” Epstein added, “but if you ask me are we frustrated that we weren’t able to help this team today, yeah, we are.”

In the end, rather than add a big league reliever, the Red Sox subtracted one, dealing away Ramon Ramirez to the Giants for a Double-A reliever.

The team also acquired a player who represents a potential project in Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a catcher with significant upside but who had fallen out of favor in the Rangers organization, resulting in a buy-low opportunity for a player whom the Sox had liked for some years. But while Epstein said Saltalamacchia could impact the Sox in the short-term, the greater likelihood is that his impact — if any — will be felt in future big league seasons.

Even so, Epstein made clear that the front office believes firmly that the Sox can get hot and reach the playoffs this year. The team will continue to explore the possibility of August reinforcements for a group that has the potential, according to Epstein, to turn on the jets down the home stretch.

“I want to be clear that we still think we have the ability to make the postseason,” said Epstein. “We have to get really hot. And as we get healthier we start to see the team on the field that can get really hot. We were healthy in April, and didn’t play up to our capabilities. That was a real frustration around here. Now that we’re getting healtier, we get our team back on the field, there’s a feeling in that clubhouse and in our front offie that we have the ability do what we didn’t do in April, and that’s run off a bunch of wins in a row. And that’s what it’s going to take to make up this ground. We still have a feeling that that has a good chance of happening. That’s why we’re going to continue to be aggressive looking for help in August.”

The team, which entered today trailing the Yankees by 7 1/2 games in the AL East and the Rays by 6 1/2 games in the wild card, was willing to sacrifice some of its better prospects (though perhaps not its top-tier minor leaguers) in pursuit of that goal. When they did not match up with other organizations on either outfielders or relievers, the Sox instead decided that they would pursue their upgrades internally.

Hence, the team made the decision to shift Felix Doubront to the bullpen for the rest of the season in hopes that he (along with Michael Bowden, who is eligible to be recalled on Aug. 2) can serve as part of the solution to an area of team weakness this year. Likewise, rather than paying a handsome premium for an oufielder, the Sox decided to turn to up-and-coming prospect Ryan Kalish in hopes of boosting both their outfield offense and defense.

Some of the points made by Epstein:

–The Sox do not yet have an announcement regarding Mike Lowell. Epstein hoped to sit down with the corner infielder following the game.

–The Sox thought they had made the sort of proposals to make a deal. The GM suggested that the club was aggressive in its offers in recent days.

“In the last couple days, we made aggressive proposals. We weren’t sure if we wanted to go all the way, and we did, and the other teams considered it, and in the end decided to hold on to their guy,” said Epstein. “We had three or four of those scenarios, where we thought that if we offered X, Y and Z, we’d definitely get this guy, and we didn’t. So we didn’t get that part of it done.”

–The Sox were aggressive in exploring the market for middle relievers, but the team was not going to part with some of the top prospects in its system to address that need and acquire a player who might contribute 20 innings or so. Unlike the 2009 deadline, when the Sox dangled elite prospects such as Clay Buchholz in return for players such as Adrian Gonzalez, Felix Hernandez and Roy Halladay, this year, the Sox weren’t as willing to part with elite prospects.

“If you look at the trade market in general, last year we were talking about guys who were 10-time All-Stars if not Hall of Fame type talent. And this year on the market, it was a different mix,” said Epstein. “We were talking more about middle relievers, and guys like this. That’s the nature of it. This year is not as talented. Are we going to give up our best or second best prospect for what might amount to a marginal upgrade? Probably not in any year. That doesn’t have to do with where we are in the standings.”

–Epstein said that the trade market did not match up well with the Sox’ needs. The top players moved were starting outfielders, and there were also first base/DH options to be had. The Sox required neither.

What the team did need was relievers, and once a pitcher like Washington closer Matt Capps was traded to the Twins for a highly regarded catching prospect such as Wilson Ramos, the bar was set at a place above which the Sox wanted to go in order to reinforce their ranks.

“[The trade market] was deep in starting pitchers, deep in bats, DH-type bats, pretty thin in relievers, pretty thin in outfielders. We were on the wrong end of that supply and demand dynamic this year, because we needed relievers and outfielders,” said Epstein. “If we wanted to be competitive in that market, we needed to pay high prices. I think we thought we were going to get something done, and we were disappointed in the end that we couldn’t.

“The teams that did trade their closers, per se, I think did really well. The prospects that they got back kind of set the market, that the other teams that had legitimate, impactful relievers, were going to not move them unless they got a similar type of impact back, and I think that’s why you see them not get moved.”

–As for the relief market behind the closers, Epstein noted that there were several relievers moved, but the Sox were focused on those who were elite, rather than on a buy-low pitcher who might be able to help down the road.

“A lot of relievers were moved. A lot of the guys we were in on were relievers who we felt would have been clear, obvious, definite upgrades for us, guys who would have come right into the mix and represented upgrades, guys we could have put in behind [Daniel] Bard and [Jonathan] Papelbon and helped this team immediately,” said Epstein. “We weren’t necessarily in the market just for a reclamation project or somebody that we sort of hoped would help us.”

–The team will remain aggressive in August. Though in order for the team to be convinced to invest significant resources in a trade during the waiver period, the club will need to get hot, something that Epstein believes it is capable of doing once healthy.

“I think we have the resources, both in prospects and dollars, to reach out in August, if appropriate, to help this team. Helping the 2010 team is definitely a goal for today,” said Epstein. “Along with doing some things for the future, the primary goal is helping the 2010 team, we weren’t able to do that, so that’s a disappointment, and something that remains a goal going into August, especially if we get off on the right foot, the way we expect to play in August. We need to have a big August to get where we want to go, if we do get off on the right foot, we can find the right player, certainly.”

–Epstein said that the team determined that Kalish represented as much of an outfield grade as whatever might be available on the trade market.

“We were looking to upgrade the trade market and when it was clear that wasn’t going to materialize, we decided rather than putting someone like a Ryan Kalish in a deal that we would regret some day, with the way his development is going, he’s ready for a trial here at the major league level,” said Epstein. “He brings a lot of energy, brings an advanced approach to the plate, brings a solid all-around game. Those are things that we could use right now.”

There is no set duration for Kalish’s first trial in the big leagues. But the team views him as a useful contributor for however long he will be up.

“Just trying to spark the team a little bit with a young guy that we feel that is just about ready and that way we won’t make trade we’ll regret. I think Ryan is as good as some of the guys we could have acquired in this outfield market,” said Epstein. “We’re not looking at him as a savior. He’s here because of the things he brings to the table, his overall game, his advanced approach at the plate, the energy and intensity that he plays with. … He’s a good baseball player.”

–The team does not have a timetable for the return of Jacoby Ellsbury.

“As much as we need him back here, we don’t want to rush him back here before he’s ready to hit,” said Epstein. “We’re going to be aggressive with it, day to day depending on how he feels and how ready he looks to come up and compete.”

–The team has long coveted Saltalamacchia, having pursued the switch-hitting catcher both when he was with the Braves and again after he went to the Rangers in the trade for Mark Teixeira. Saltalamacchia, once considered an elite prospect, has endured a number of struggles, but Epstein said that the Sox viewed this as a chance to buy low on a player with significant potential at a position of need.

“We’d scouted him heavily this year. He was obviously a guy we’d liked a lot in the past who came with a really heavy price tag in the past. He’s someone we hope we’re buying low on right now as he’s battling a few different issues,” said Epstein. “Obviously, he had the health issue where he had the surgery on the thoracic outlet syndrome this past winter. He had a difficult recovery from that. and then he battled some throwing issues earlier this year, but didn’t take time off, really battled through them.

“We had scouts in there very recently on him, actually right up until the deadline. He’s throwing the ball back to the pitcher fine, throwing to the bases pretty well. We feel like he’s a classic guy with a high ceiling who needs a change of scenery. He’d kind of been butting heads with the organization over there a little bit. He’s a guy we think we can work with to unleash that potential.”

–Epstein spoke enthusiastically about reliever Daniel Turpen, the 23-year-old reliever whom the Sox got from the Giants in exchange for Ramirez. Turpen throws from an “almost sidearm” low arm slot and has what Epstein called “the makings of three above-average pitches.”

“There’s a chance given service time and some other things that there might be some turnover in the pen and he’s someone who can be part of the solution looking ahead. Maybe not this year, but looking at our future bullpen,” said Epstein. “He’s a performer that comes from a difficult arm angle, keeps the ball on the ground and throws strikes. We like his demeanor and the three-pitch mix.”

Turpen has a 4.09 ERA in Double-A this year, and a 2.69 mark in his four pro seasons.

The July 31 deadline for non-waiver trades is less than three hours away. Yet Red Sox manager Terry Francona suggested that he has “no idea” whether his club will do anything before it passes at 4 p.m.

“I just don’t know,” Francona said. “If you asked [Sox GM Theo Epstein] right now, I don’t know if he knows.”

One area that the Sox are unquestionably exploring is the market for bullpen help. Yet the Sox have been deterred by what they’ve seen as an excessive cost of doing business.

The team makes no secret of the fact that it has endured a significant bullpen struggle this year. The bullpen ERA stands at a pitiable 4.43 mark, and the options aside from Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon have been suboptimal for the Sox.

Yet the team is also leery of spending heavily to acquire relief help. Relievers are volatile, going from All-Star performances to virtual irrelevance, a fact that is evident even by looking at the Sox’ own bullpen corps.

“[Hideki Okajima] is a good example. He’s a guy that’s made the All-Star team. He’s run thorugh some tough times,” said Francona. “When you’re acquiring bullpen help, there’s certainly some amount of a crapshoot with it. That’s what I’m sure Theo and those guys are discussing right now, and it’s very difficult decisions. You’re probably going to overpay for a reliever, and that is very difficult.”

That, in turn, makes the notion of internal fixes appealing. And the Sox will certainly seek to bolster their relief corps from within.

Michael Bowden is currently in Pawtucket, honing his craft as a reliever. On Friday night, the organization informed left-hander Felix Doubront that he will likewise be groomed for relief duty for the rest of the year. Francona emphasized that the club still views the 22-year-old’s long-term future as being a member of the big league rotation, but for the rest of 2010, the team believes that Doubront can be part of the solution to its late-inning struggles.

“Everybody involved thinks this kid has a chance to impact us going forward this year in the bullpen,” said Francona. “He’s going to be a starter – a major league starter. But I think for the rest of the year, if he gets the chance, he can maybe impact us out of the bullpen. But we want to, like we do with these other guys, get him some innings out of the bullpen.

“He throws strikes. He’s quick to the plate. The game doesn’t speed up. There’s nothing that doesn’t [impress about him]. The only thing is, I think, he hasn’t done it. He’s been groomed as a starter. There’s some things he has to get used to: getting up in the middle of the game, mindset, again, we just want to give him a chance to do that. It’s the only way it’s fair.”

NESN baseball analyst Peter Gammons joined The Big Show on Friday afternoon to discuss the trade deadline, what is out there for relief pitching, and how trade rumors spring up out of nowhere.

Said Gammons: “A lot of times people like to guess. I think agents like to throw it out there. … Some of it makes a lot of sense, but the fact is we have so many media outlets. I find it a lot of fun, but it can also drive you crazy trying to chase them all down.”

Following is a transcript of the interview. To hear the whole interview visit The Big Show audio on demand page.

What do the Red Sox do between now and the conclusion of the deadline tomorrow at 4 p.m.?

I don’t think they’ll get the outfield bat they’d like to get. There was some talk today, once the [Houston] Astros made that deal to get [Brett] Wallace to play first base, they made it clear to everybody they want to move Lance Berkman, who’s not had a good year. I think it has something to do with a knee operation he had in spring training, but apparently that doesn’t fit because he can’t play the outfield. And I’m not really sure where Berkman’s going. My guess is they don’t come up with an outfield bat and they’ll pick up a reliever or two. I was actually working on something this afternoon where I was taking 35 of the available relievers and I was going to a 30-team trade. You took all these different guys, move one for another, one for another, and then the same guy, Joe Beimel, still ends up in Colorado [Rockies], he’s the 30th trade and he ends up back in Colorado on the same day. That’s how valuable all these guys are. There isn’t a relief pitcher out there that you could say, this guy will have an ERA under 5.00 the last two months of the season. I would put Matt Capps right in that category.

Looking at Capps and what he went for, but catchers are hard to find.

Everyone that has talked to me about that trade, every general manager, that Washington [Nationals] made a great trade. [Wilson Ramos] is going to catch for them for 10 years, he’s going to hit 20 home runs in the big leagues, and call a game, which most of the college catchers never learned to do. He’s really good, that was a surprising trade. Out of all the guys out there, Scott Downs is considered to be the best, not great, not as good as Hideki Okajima his first three years in Boston, but OK. Right now Toronto [Blue Jays] want a primary guy or they’ll gamble and take the two draft choices.

Does it seem like a lot of relievers appear out of nowhere, have good years, then disappear?

Well, I mean look at Joe Borowski, he saves 47 games one year, and he’s out of baseball the next. That’s sort of the nature of relief pitchers. If you think about where the Yankees and Red Sox were two years ago, and Joba Chamberlain. We used to be on alert, “Joba Chamberlain may pitch tonight.” And now, you couldn’t possibly think about Joba Chamberlain and Daniel Bard being in the same league. Bard is three times the player Joba Chamberlain is. It’s a really unpredictable thing. The guys that are there; the [Chad] Qualls, the [Aaron] Heilmans, the [Kyle] Farnshworths. Kevin Gregg is OK, he’s been alright in the past, at least you kind of know what you’re going to get with him. He’s nothing great, but he can pitch the sixth or seventh inning. You’re right, they are bottom feeders. Even Brandon League in Seattle, I had a general manager say to me today, “Just promise me you’ll never talk about how good Brandon League’s stuff is, and just go look at his results over the last four years, and remember exactly who he really is.” It’s really hard when you’re doing this, but you can get lucky for two months. Qualls was great for the Astros in the playoffs in 2005. He currently has the worst earned run average of any relief pitcher in major league baseball, but he still throws 95 [mph]. He can go some place: Tampa, Boston, someplace, and put together two good months pitching in the sixth or seventh inning.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Red Sox continue to get closer to fielding a full roster. Dustin Pedroia just completed a round of batting practice, on a day when he received a positive progress report about his still-healing broken foot. Jason Varitek is now off crutches for his broken foot, and Jacoby Ellsbury is working out with the club as he prepares to shift his rehab assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday.

Here are the details:

–Both  Varitek and Pedroia had scans on Friday to examine the progress of their broken bones, and Sox manager Terry Francona suggested that both had experienced “significant healing” since their last such exams. Pedroia, who had experienced discomfort while running in Anaheim on Monday, ran again on Friday with more promising results. He was told that he can begin to ramp up his activities as he moves closer to a return.

“Pedroia actually just came in from running. It went real well. It showed significant healing. Not healed, but good healing,” said Francona.
“More importantly, I think his exam went really well, so he’s got the go-ahead to start ramping up the running again. He did about 10 to 12 [sprints at] 90 feet, and the idea is just to kind of keep building. I think he took some groundballs, too . He felt good.”

Varitek is not yet that far along, but he is now off crutches, and will be able to start walking without a boot on Saturday. So that was good news.

“He’s a bit away from playing, for sure, but both reports came back really good,” said Francona.

Francona said that Pedroia would “probably” require a minor league rehab assignment before getting back in the lineup.

–Ellsbury is working out with the Sox on Friday, and will play in Pawtucket on Saturday and Sunday. At that point, he’ll be re-evaluated and the next step will be determined.

–The Sox will hold off on a roster move involving Mike Lowell for another day or two, waiting for the trade deadline to pass before deciding what to do with the corner infielder, who could get dealt in the next 24 hours.

“There’s possible movement. The deadline is tomorrow,” said Francona. “It just seems to make sense to get through another day or two days and then do what we need to do.”

(For Lowell’s thoughts, click here.)

–J.D. Drew, who was scratched from the lineup just prior to Tuesday’s game and then sat out of Wednesday’s game, is back in the lineup after a three-day respite. “That’s great news,” said Francona.

–Francona said that he is trying to steer clear of conversations with GM Theo Epstein, as he does not want to put the general manager in a position where he feels like he needs to make a move that fails to balance the short- and long-term interests of the club.

“I know Theo and those guys are down there working. If he thinks he can make us better while making sense, he’ll do it. I’m confident of that,” said Francona. “I think he does a good job of trying to stay, keep track of the present and the future. Sometimes when you’re in uniform, all you care about is today. [I] try not to have conversations with him where he feels like, pressure from me to do something that would hinder our future.”

Peter Gammons

Longtime MLB insider Peter Gammons made his weekly call into The Big Show to talk about all things Red Sox and baseball, especially at the most hectic time of the season: the trade deadline. Gammons covered many different topics, including the Red Sox’ plans for the next week as the July 31 deadline approaches, the plans for key free agents, the return of injured players and the rise of some minor league players in time to be traded.

“I don’t trade Clay Buchholz for a first baseman. The only way [the Red Sox are] going to win is with pitching,” Gammons said. ”Now, if you’re talking about [Felix] Doubront or something like that, that’s fine, but they’re not going to give up [Jon] Lester or Buchholz to get Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder. I think that’s what it would take.”

Below are highlights of the interview. To listen to the complete interview, click on The Big Show audio on demand page.

On the trade deadline’s significance:

You know, it’s kind of interesting. I’ve done a lot of research — gone all over the trade deadlines — and other than last year, where the Phillies got Cliff Lee, which clearly got them into the World Series, the last team that got to the World Series and did anything of significance at the trading deadline were the Red Sox in 2004 when they moved [Nomar] Garciaparra for [Doug] Mientkiewicz and [Orlando] Cabrera. The notion of pennants being changed by trading deadline deals is essentially fiction. In 2003, the Yankees got Aaron Boone and he hit under .200, but he did hit one famous home run. In 1999, the Yankees got David Justice, but otherwise, that’s about it.

On whether or not Theo Epstein should make a move at the deadline or wait for his roster to settle down:

Well, I think he looks at it as, “OK, can we do something for this year and next year?” You can get a catcher that can go both years. I think the relief pitchers are more temps because that’s the nature of relief pitchers. Outfielder, I think you would like someone who can play for you next year, but if you want a David DeJesus, that’s out of the window now. I think I was told 4-6 weeks on his thumb.

So I think he looks at it both ways. When you look at it, Beckett comes back, and [John] Lackey was certainly encouraging last night, if four times or five times around the rotation your starting pitching is the best in the league, then you’ve got a chance to catch Tampa and get into the wild card. You can go into the playoffs with Lester, Buchholz, Beckett, you’ve got a great chance to win every series.

I don’t think he’s going to trade off six prospects to go get a guy that’s going to fill in. I do think that Cody Ross was another world. I’d still pick [Rick] Ankiel if he shows he can play, the problem is he came back off the DL last night, hasn’t played any rehab games, so it’s hard to tell if you can take him. You still have the whole scope of it in the Jayson Werth thing, but that’s a big gamble until you sign him because he wants to be a free agent at the end of the year.

On the possibility of re-signing Adrián Beltré instead of bringing on a new big bat:

I think it’s going to be hard to sign Beltré. They’d like to. The question with attendance down — I think [in] 13 cities now — how many teams can afford a $13 million a year third baseman? I think that’s one of the things they have in the market. I still think the Angels’ first priority … well, I know their first priority is Carl Crawford, that’s why they put his locker next to Torii Hunter at the All-Star Game. Read the rest of this entry »

ESPN baseball writer Jerry Crasnick joined the Dale & Holley show Friday morning and talked about the upcoming trade deadline. Like many of his other baseball writing brethren, Crasnick noted that the Red Sox will need to be patient before they can decide what type of role they will play in this season’s trade market.

“For a team like the Red Sox, they have to wait until the very end to throw up the flag, so I think that’s what’s going to happen,” Crasnick said. “They’ve had guys hurt. They’re on a tough trip right now. They really have to see where they stand at the end of this trip and then decide, ‘Look, are we going to pull the trigger on something momentous? Or maybe could we do some selective selling?’ ”

Crasnick, who will be headed down to Cooperstown next weekend to cover the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, also discussed the possibility of Johnny Damon entering the Hall of Fame.

“He ran the bases. He played on winning teams, and if he got to 3,000 hits, I, to be honest with you, would have a hard time keeping him out,” Crasnick said.

What follows are more highlights from the interview. To hear the entire interview, go to the Dale & Holley audio on demand page.

Isn’t it possible, with all of the teams in contention, that we’ll see less dealing at the deadline rather than more?

It’s really difficult. People tend to try to read these things. I think usually it’s going to be disappointing. It always seems to be a little bit less than people expect. The other thing this year obviously is the economic situation and how many big contracts teams are prepared to take on, and that’s always a big factor, too. Read the rest of this entry »

ESPN baseball analyst Buster Olney tweeted that Boston’s recent acquisition of infielder Jack Hannahan could mean that the team will look to trade fellow utilityman Jed Lowrie. Lowrie just made his return to the big leagues Wednesday after missing the entire first half of the season with mononucleosis. Hannahan played second base, shortstop and third base for Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma before coming over to the Red Sox organization and could replace Lowrie as a jack-of-all-trades infielder. Olney mentions that Lowrie’s rumored destination could be San Diego should the Sox actually choose to move him.