With roughly five days remaining until the July 31 deadline the Boston Red Sox are tirelessly looking to add another impact player to their roster. We've heard reports that they inquired about Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee and even Roy Halladay, but now they appear to be shifting their interest in a different direction.
According to ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney, the Red Sox have turned their attention to Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez,
However, Olney notes that a deal is probably still unlikely because of two major hurdles the Red Sox would have to overcome.
I. As Olney puts it the Padres would require an "enormous" package of prospects, very similar to what the Mariners gave up for Erik Bedard, said one NL talent evaluator.
II. Even if the Padres received a package that they deemed acceptable Padres ownership would still have to sign off on trading the 27-year-old superstar, which seems unlikely because Gonzalez is one of the cornerstones of the franchise.
The Padres have already tried to deal former Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy this year, and any attempt to move Gonzalez would likely infuriate the team's fan base.
Don't expect this deal to happen, but if you're a Red Sox fan you've got to be optimistic that the Sox are doing everything possible to upgrade their current roster. A recent skid has set the Red Sox 2 ½ games behind the Yankees, which appears to be pushing the team to be ultra aggressive.