The Red Sox were already in a tough spot with their bullpen, but things got worse when they learned that left-hander Andrew Miller will likely require season-ending surgery on his left foot, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. While one might expect them to hit the trade market for a reliever, that may not happen between now and the deadline. "I guess you lose a guy, he has to be replaced somehow," GM Ben Cherington told reporters. "We still think we have some internal options we can consider. We may take a look at some of those in different ways over the course of the next few weeks. We've got to have an open mind." Here's more from the AL and NL East..
- The Mets plan to hang on to closer Bobby Parnell, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post opines that they should think about changing their minds. There are several teams, including the Tigers and Red Sox, that are desperate for late-inning solutions and there isn't much out there.
- Ryan Howard's contract with the Phillies is a total loss, opines Dan Szymborski of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). Howard's dip in performance is not a surprise, but exactly what is to be expect from a one-dimensional slugger in his early 30s. Howard makes $20MM this season, $25MM per year through 2016, and must be paid $10MM in 2017 if his $23MM option isn't picked up.
- Now with the Mariners, Jason Bay looks back fondly on his tenure with the Red Sox, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald. Bay had to make a team's roster for the first time in his big league career but he says that he is enjoying his time in Seattle.
- The Marlins asked the Dodgers for righty Chris Withrow in the Ricky Nolasco deal, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, but were told he wasn't available. In the post, Frisaro also explains why not to expect trades of Giancarlo Stanton or Steve Cishek.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
