The Red Sox, year in and year out, have their name surfaced around the trade deadline and the weeks prior. The team is in contention annually, has the necessary payroll to make any type of deal without worrying too much about cost, often looks to upgrade with the ultimate goal of a world championship, and possesses top prospects that teams covet. The upgrade most Red Sox fans are eyeing is middle relief, a problem even more glaring than last season when Epstein felt it was necessary to trade for Eric Gagne. Manny Delcarmen is emerging quickly, but can he be trusted with Okajima falling drastically from his elite setup man status?
Other than the bullpen, the obvious question for any contender is: can we upgrade the starting rotation? Many names are being floated- Bronson Arroyo, Derek Lowe, Randy Wolf, Paul Byrd, Gil Meche, A.J. Burnett, Roy Oswalt- but, in my mind, only two names really stick out as guys who can make a super impact for a contender looking to win a title: Erik Bedard and C.C. Sabathia. In order to acquire either one, a team needs 1) motivation and 2) prospects. A slim number of teams have both, the Red Sox are one and the Brewers could be the other. The Phillies, Cubs and certainly the White Sox are questionable in terms of prospects. The Yankees?
Do the Red Sox need to deal for a starter? Not in any desperate way, but it wouldn
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