http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/06/heres-more-from-todays-column-the-astros-will-craft-a-game-plan-early-this-week-for-how-to-approach-their-veteran-assets.html#disqus_thread

Papelbon is currently owed around $34M I believe. If the Sox continue to be in the playoff race at the trade deadline and continue to have uncertainty at the closer position, would the sox make a hard push to aquire Paps? I would think that the Sox might be <more> interested  if the Phillies eat some of his contract, but that would then require one of our better prospects being in play I believe.

Not sure what this may mean for the future but this from the MLB site:

Farrell said Will Middlebrooks has been taking some grounders at first
base in case Boston needs some help. The skipper said the Red Sox are
adjusting as they go due to all the injuries.

Why they might need help at first, from Gordon Edes:

Meanwhile, the Sox sent first baseman Mike Napoli back to Boston to undergo testing to determine the cause of dizziness, nausea and light-headedness he has been experiencing since Thursday, when he came out of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning. The Sox have consulted a concussion specialist who has all but ruled out that as a cause, Farrell said, but the club remains puzzled by his condition. 

https://twitter.com/pgammo/statuses/345538614345744384

Dopes, please move/merge if this isn't thread-worthy.

Edit: Embedding tweets is wicked hard

 

TAMPA, Fla. -- Boston Red Sox pitchers Alfredo Aceves and Jose De La Torre were on their way to St. Petersburg on Tuesday to help an overtaxed pitching staff that is in need of fresh arms, a source said. 

It is unclear whether they will both be activated, but Aceves will almost certainly start Wednesday night’s game against the Tama Bay Rays. De La Torre could be activated as well to help a tired relief corps.

But I could see the pitching staff having a great year. Sure, I thought, if Lester and Buchholz return to form (and Clay looked great at the end of last year), Doubront continues to have strikeout stuff, Lackey goes back to pitching the way he did before his elbow was shredded, and Dempster does 200 innings of 4.50 ERA, this staff could be pretty damn good. 

And they are. At a 3.76 ERA for the year, they've exceeded my expectations (though in this era of the pitcher, that's not as impressive a team ERA as it has been recently - it's only sixth in the AL).

However, there's no way I saw this offensive output coming.

Currently, the Sox are first in OPS+ (114), first in OPS (.804 - .050 better than #2 Cleveland), and first in runs (326, 13 better than Detroit - they're on pace for 775 runs or so. 808 lead the league last year. In 2011 the Sox lead with 875. Yanks lead with 915 in 2009 - if you need more proof things have swung toward pitching). 

As such, the team currently has the best record in the American League. 

The question is: Is this sustainable? 

There are reasons to think it's not. Is it possible Daniel Nava, Mike Carp, and Jose Iglesias with wind up with respective OPS+es of 135, 165, and 185? Is Ortiz really going to post a 1.000+ OPS at the age of 37? 

But the offense in some ways has room for growth. Drew is just starting to consistently hit after a bad start. Ellsbury has heated up considerably and may be getting a feel for his power and break out with some HRs. Middlebrooks may figure something out at AAA and inject some power into the lineup when Iglesias inevitably cools down. Gomes is heating up. Carp might actually be this good when healthy. 

So there are reasons to think the Red Sox do, indeed, have the best offense in the AL. Raise your hand if you saw this coming.

Personally I would give all four choices a qualified offer.

Jacoby Ellsbury is a no brainer.  Napoli is getting about the same right now.

Salty is young and becoming the hitter everyone imagined he would.  He will be 28 on opening day next year.

Stephen Drew is interesting.  He made 9.5 this year coming back from injury and has played really well.  I am not sold on Iglesias being an everyday player and would not mind getting Drew another year to hold the seat for Bogearts. 

Look what we did!