Red Sox Rumors: Vargas, Harden, Buchholz, Bedard

The latest on the Red Sox…

• The Mariners are offering Jason Vargas to the Red Sox, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, who hears that the Red Sox are all over the map in trade discussions. Don’t expect Derek Lowe to return to Boston and don’t expect Carlos Zambrano to become a trade target, but Aaron Harang and Jeremy Guthrie are possibilities for GM Theo Epstein.
• The Red Sox and Yankees scouted Rich Harden in Oakland today, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
• A source familiar with Clay Buchholz's back injury tells WEEI's Alex Speier the Red Sox are "'very concerned' that the issue is not muscular, but instead could involve a structural issue such as a bone."  Speier says the Sox are "monitoring the starting pitcher market broadly," because of Buchholz as well as concern with current members of the rotation.
• The Red Sox are "all over" Mariners lefty Erik Bedard, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, and they'll be among the many teams scouting him against the Rays tomorrow night.  They note that the Mariners had two scouts watching Boston's Double-A club on Wednesday and one watching their Triple-A affiliate.
• Though the Sox continue to look for starting pitchers, CBS Sports' Danny Knobler tweets that they're telling teams the focus is now a right-handed hitting outfielder.  He notes that they would "almost certainly" try for White Sox right fielder Carlos Quentin, if Chicago makes him available.