Red Sox waive Kotsay

Instead of disabling Mark Kotsay with his calf issues, the Sox have opted to waive him and his .257/.291/.324 line on the year. He just never could get in the groove. This opens up a 25-man spot for Adam LaRoche (and a 40-man spot for Chris Duncan).

This leaves Rocco Baldelli as the team's only backup outfielder, but if needed, Kevin Youkilis could play left field -- he has 134 innings of experience there. Tito also isn't afraid to send him to right, with 8.2 innings experience there.

7 names to watch for as Red Sox approach deadline

With the acquisition of Adam LaRoche and Chris Duncan, the Red Sox have made some aggressive moves to shore up their offense. With the moves, it is likely that the Sox are done acquiring anyone who primarily plays first and left field. Thus, Ryan Spilborghs and Josh Willingham have been removed from the list below outlining several names to keep an eye on. I've also removed Scott Rolen, as the LaRoche acquisition means we can give Lowell breaks and put Youkilis at third.

This leaves three more names to fill up to reach the 15 bats I promised in part one. I added one more bat, but for the other two names, I've gone ahead and slotted pitching in there, largely in response to this article in the Globe, which states the Sox probably have their hands in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes now given the recent pitching struggles of the Sox. I'm not sold on the chances of a big move, but the pitching has certainly got to a point where it's not out of the realm of possibility to see a trade for a pitcher.

WholesaleKeychain.com TRIVIA: First 1B

Who was the first first-baseman Theo Epstein ever acquired in his tenure? (Player must have played 1B with the Sox as his main position.)

TEX 3, BOS 1: Slumping Sox swept

Boston has made a couple of moves before the trade deadline but the best move to break this slump will be a day off and a return home.

7/22: Youth shall be served

Adam LaRoche and Chris Duncan in, Julio Lugo and prospects out....but none of them will be an impact in today's game. With the Yankees win today already in the books, tonight is all about Clay Buchholz.

Red Sox trade Lugo to Cardinals for Duncan

UPDATE: The Sox got a player to be named later too!? Wow.

Julio Lugo is a Cardinal while the Sox acquire 1B/LF Chris Duncan in the hopes of bolstering their offense against right-handed hitters.

Epstein and Gammons on LaRoche trade

Theo Epstein was on a conference call today, and mentions that this deal does not preclude a further deal. Also, Peter Gammons says the Sox turned down Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez and made the LaRoche swap today because another team had entered the sweepstakes.

Analysis of LaRoche trade

As some may be aware, I contribute to The Hardball Times, serviing as their transaction guru. I opined on the LaRoche trade just now. Some excerpts after the jump.

TEX 4, BOS 2: Second place

Josh Beckett did all he could to give the Boston Red Sox a lift.

15 bats the Red Sox could trade for — Pt. 1

On the heels of the Sox's fourth disappointing offensive game in a row, it's becoming abundantly clear that despite the team's top five offense, it's a top five incapable of sustaining any sort of playoff-caliber offense.

With that in mind, I have compiled a list of the 15 bats the Red Sox may have interest in. As the trading deadline approaches, I am keen to see if Theo has the "killer instinct" in him to make a strong move instead of holding onto his prospects with an iron fist.

With Jason Bay a free agent and his agent seeking a Mark Teixeira-type deal, is the time now to get a bat for now and the future? Here are some names that could don Sox uniforms sooner rather than later -- you'll see eight names in this article (in alphabetical order). On Friday, the final seven will follow, plus a summary of what the best fits seem to be.