Contending teams may come after Wells
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The days on the West Coast have been action-packed for the Red Sox -- mostly in the trainer's room, but not on the field, where they are free-falling into oblivion.
Yesterday, there was talk of the Sox trying to get something for David Wells, who has started to pitch very well and could help a contending team. There was also the news of Manny Ramírez and Wily Mo Peña returning to Boston for medical evaluation, and Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon, and Alex Gonzalez about to begin rehabilitation stints with Pawtucket.
First, though, Wells.
According to major league sources, the Padres, Dodgers, and Cardinals are exploring the possibility of a Wells deal with Sox general manager Theo Epstein.
The Sox have until midnight tomorrow to deal Wells in time for him to be eligible for a team's postseason roster.
Wells has said this is his last season, and he would like to finish his career in a meaningful way.
``David would likely welcome the chance to finish up in a pennant race," said his agent, Gregg Clifton. ``The same things that attracted David to Boston would attract him to another team vying for a playoff spot."
Wells also was sent ahead to Boston, but only because he's the scheduled starter tomorrow against Toronto. While no team ever wants to concede its season is over, if Wells is dealt, it certainly would be a sign the Sox are thinking ahead to next season.
As for Ramírez and Peña, Epstein said there was some discussion about the disabled list for both, but in both cases, he feels the injuries are more short-term.
``Both guys are truly day-to-day," said Epstein. ``We talked it over and we decided that we're OK for these next few days, rather than DL-ing someone who might be back in a matter of a few days."
Manager Terry Francona added, ``If we have a chance of Manny coming back in 4-5 days, that's better than losing him for two weeks. It's not guaranteed, but that makes the most sense to me. It's not often when you have a lot of these gray-area injuries, it could be one or two days or it could be 10-12, so we have to make rational decisions based on that. Once we get to Sept. 1 [when rosters can expand], it won't be an issue anymore."
Francona said that Peña, who has a sore wrist, asked to have a cortisone shot recently.
``From where I sit, I don't know if it's the right thing to do," said Francona. ``We decided let's let him go back and see the doctor and get the cortisone shot if appropriate and spend a couple of days to heal and then rejoin us when we go back. We're not going to use him here anyway."
Before Monday night's 9-0 loss, Francona said, he had a long conversation with Ramírez, who has patellar tendinitis in his knee.
``He's hurting," said Francona. ``I think when he was going to slide the other night [in Anaheim], he got worried. We need to protect him. He deserves to be protected. He's too good."
Echoed Epstein, ``In Manny's case, he needs to be looked at again. It's a legitimate injury. We've rested it, that hasn't worked. We want them to look at him again. He may need further rest. We'll see, but he certainly wasn't going to be able to play the next two days. The diagnosis stands; we're just looking for a solution to make him feel better."
Asked about Ramírez's injuries, third baseman Mike Lowell said, ``Since this is my first year of playing with Manny, I don't know how things were dealt with. He's obviously a different personality, and I have to give him the benefit of the doubt because we ran him out there every day -- he played every day. So if he says he can't play, I gotta believe he can't play."
When told that others were able to play through injuries, Lowell said, ``That's why I don't know if it's a matter of that with him. If I don't see him in the lineup, I figure he can't play. That's more of a trainer thing, a Tito thing. I'm sure they've talked to him and I don't think it's my place to ask about it, either.
``Our whole team had a lot at stake, and we're a better team with him in lineup than without him in it, but like I said, I gotta believe him right now. I can't say that he is doing anything otherwise."
But the righthander said he is most proud of his strikeout/walk ratio, which is better than 4-1 (he has 683 walks).
``I don't know where I'll fall on that scale, as far as how many walks people had when they got to 3,000, but I hope up I'm up there in that," he said.
``That's the type of pitcher I hoped to become, someone who threw a lot of strikes and got a lot of strikeouts and had command of the baseball, because early in my career the two guys I wanted to emulate were [Roger ] Clemens and [Greg ] Maddux.
``I wanted Clemens's power and Maddux's control. I never quite got to either one of them, but I thought I was a mix and match of the two and kind of became who I am."
Schilling said the milestone is special because he will be only the 14th pitcher to reach it.
``You're over a century into the game, and you're one of 14 pitchers," he said. ``That's the kind of thing that catches me a little bit."
Gordon Edes of the Globe staff contributed to this report. 
