Red Sox Deal With Pedro Principle

The injury-riddled Boston Red Sox have tried valiantly to hold off the dreaded New York Yankees in the American League East, but the Curse of the Bambino retains a powerful hold. The news that Pedro Martinez might not return until Sept. 1 because of an inflamed rotator cuff underscores their search for pitching in a typically thin market and complicates the absence of Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek and Carl Everett, all on the disabled list.

In addition, the Red Sox are not the only playoff contender looking for pitching before the July 31 deadline.

And, as usual, it’s a seller’s market given the limited supply.

In seeking help for their improbable rotation of Hideo Nomo (8-4), David Cone (5-1) and Tim Wakefield (6-3), the Red Sox know they can’t replace Martinez in trade.

Veteran David Wells, the best possibility to win down the stretch, is sidelined by impending back surgery and no longer a trade option.

The New York Mets might trade left-hander Al Leiter, a cornerstone of their personality, but only if overwhelmed.

Pedro Astacio, Woody Williams, Sterling Hitchcock, James Baldwin and Darren Oliver may represent the best of the available starting cast.

Can the Red Sox do better with their own Tomo Okha, Sun-Woo Kim or Paxton Crawford?

“We feel we can win with the club we have right now,” outfielder Dante Bichette said bravely, “but, in the back of our minds, we’re thinking that when we get healthy we could really take off.”

The clock is ticking, however.

Garciaparra (wrist surgery) could be back by the end of the month. Varitek (elbow surgery) might be ready by late August. Everett (knee sprain) is day to day, but teammates have been openly critical of his determination to return.

The Yankees took the division lead by winning 10 of 11 games before the all-star break, play only 13 second-half games against teams with a winning record, have already traded for relievers Jay Witasick and Mark Wohlers and, Manager Joe Torre said in Seattle, “feel we have an edge now.”

No team faces the trade deadline with more difficult decisions than the Oakland Athletics. The A’s wild-card hopes are at stake, plus the next few seasons.

Do they play out 2001 hoping to make the playoffs and possibly re-signing Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen as free agents, or do they try to trade one or all now?

General Manager Billy Beane isn’t saying.

However, in Giambi’s case, the situation has changed from the first half. The all-star first baseman began the second by announcing that the six-year, $90-million contract he agreed to in March, pending the A’s willingness to include a no-trade clause, was no longer acceptable.

The all-star break was his deadline for that deal, he said, and his first-half production--.322 average, 19 homers, 60 runs batted in--has changed the financial parameters.

“I wanted it to be out there that I wasn’t going to walk through the door and have them say, ‘Here’s a no-trade clause,’ and then tell them, ‘That won’t work any more,’ ” Giambi said. “I wanted them to know that’s not going to get it done now. That deal is dead.”

Instead of the usual routine of dumping salary in July, the worst-to-first Minnesota Twins have given General Manager Terry Ryan permission to extend a $24.8-million payroll in the bid to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1991 and enhance the latest drive for a new ballpark.

Ryan, of course, is pleased to have the financial flexibility if he needs it, “but we’re certainly not in a situation where we have to panic.”

Perhaps, but all-star shortstop Cristian Guzman is on the disabled list with a potentially serious shoulder injury, and the Twins have also had problems at the back end of a rotation in which Brad Radke, Eric Milton and Joe Mays were 29-12 in the first half compared to 6-9 for the fourth and fifth starters.

Nevertheless, the Twins have won 15 of their last 18 games, the starting pitchers are 7-1 in the last 12 and a 22-year-old duo of Kyle Lohse and Johan Santana has improved to 4-0 as the latest Nos. 4 and 5 starters.