DownSwinging.com

Finally, we’re here. One of the most exciting days in baseball: the trading deadline. The deadline is officially today at 4 p.m. so executives will be rapidly shuffling papers and switching between conference calls and by this afternoon some of these deals will be put into place.

I’m going to the start with the Red Sox because they’re involved in all of the blockbusters. At this point, it’s reasonably safe to say that if Roy Halladay is going to be traded, it will be to the Red Sox; if Victor Martinez is going to be to traded, it will be to the Red Sox; and if Adrian Gonzalez gets traded it’s going to be to the Red Sox. The Dodgers and Rangers are still players on the Halladay sweepstakes and the Mets and Rays are technically involved for V-Mart, but basically I think the Red Sox are the frontrunners for all three. But they will only get one of them. And they will get one of them. I will be shocked if the Red Sox don’t nab one of the three, it could happen, but I doubt it.

From what I gather, Adrian Gonzalez is Boston’s first choice. Gonzalez solves the problem shortage now and in the future, and plays an excellent first base. He also will be the hardest to get, but the Red Sox have spent all Wednesday negotiating with the Friars, as well as late Thursday night. But if they don’t get something done, they’ll turn their attention to Victor Martinez and the Indians. The teams are looking to include a third team in the deal, with Clay Buchholz going to the Indians in exchange for Martinez and prospects evening things out across the board with the three teams. As of yet no word on if they’ve found a third team, but things are definitely progressing, so if the Red Sox take this route I think they and the Tribe will get it done. Were the Red Sox to get V-Mart or Gonzalez, they would trade away Adam LaRoche as he would be of no value anymore.