The Globe's Peter Abraham passes on word from ESPN's Buster Olney that Houston is making it known that star outfielder Hunter Pence is available. Pence, only 28, would seem to be the perfect transitional fit for the Red Sox—who need to move on from ineffective, 35-year old J.D. Drew.Pence will cost Boston multiple prospects—from an already depleted minor league talent pool. It may be that equally needy teams like Atlanta will offer up a more attractive package of players to land the outfielder—who is hitting .316 with 11 homers so far this year.
Moreover, Theo may be honing in on starting pitching as his primary need—with Beckett as the only currently healthy 'sure thing' in the rotation. Also, with the Rays falling further off the pace, it's increasingly likely that both New York and Boston will reach the postseason—one as the division champ and one as the Wild Card. This probably lessens the urgency for both teams to break the bank for either a bat or an arm (or both).