by Ken Rosenthal

Smoltz replaced Matsuzaka. Clay Buchholz will replace Wakefield. Class AAA right-hander Michael Bowden is almost ready to pitch in the majors, Sox officials say.

Wakefield, suffering from a lower-back strain, is not expected to be out long. So, even if Smoltz fails, Penny is traded and Matsuzaka is lost for the season, the Sox's rotation down the stretch could be Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Wakefield, Buchholz and Bowden.

And that would be the worst-case scenario.

Of course, Buchholz also could be the centerpiece of a trade offer for the Indians' Victor Martinez, a player who would serve as protection against injury or ineffectiveness by catcher Jason Varitek, designated hitter David Ortiz and third baseman Mike Lowell (Martinez could play first with Kevin Youkilis moving to third).

The Sox, though, are almost obsessed with protecting their future. As the issues mount with their veteran starting pitchers, Buchholz's value to the club is becoming more evident.

Penny, 6-4 with a 5.02 ERA, also gives the Sox depth, but as a potential free agent, he is more expendable. The Sox, who have scored only 12 runs in five games since the All-Star break, would trade him for offensive help or the right prospect. Such a deal, however, is "not likely," according to one source.

One note on Smoltz: The batting average on balls in play against him is .373, while the American League average is only .296.

The sample size consists of only five starts — but Smoltz's high BABIP indicates that his 6.31 ERA might be partly the result of poor luck.

Yankees: Hoping solution lies within

The Yankees don't know what they can get out of Chien-Ming Wang. ( Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)

It goes without saying that the Yankees are not as deep in starting pitching as the Red Sox.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre pitched fairly well in his Yankees debut Tuesday night, allowing three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. But even if Mitre turns into another Aaron Small, who went 10-0 with a 3.20 ERA for the 2005 Yankees, this team is one Andy Pettitte or A.J. Burnett injury away from a genuine crisis.

Chien-Ming Wang did not suffer a significant setback in his recovery from a strained shoulder Monday; his next throwing session was merely delayed until Friday. But the Yankees still cannot be confident of what they will get from Wang, and their next option at Triple-A is lefty Kei Igawa.

Either Alfredo Aceves or Phil Hughes could return to the rotation if necessary, but such a move would weaken an improved bullpen. As for a trade, the Yankees — like the Red Sox — do not appear to be serious contenders for Roy Halladay, though the Blue Jays continue to cover their bases by scouting both clubs.

Meanwhile, the Indians will trade left-hander Cliff Lee only for the right price. The Mariners are not ready to move lefty Jarrod Washburn or lefty Erik Bedard. Diamondbacks lefty Doug Davis probably would be a poor fit in the AL East.

Indians right-hander Carl Pavano?

"We've seen that movie," one Yankees official says. "Our players would go crazy if we did that."

The Halladay deadline

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Jays had not informed Halladay's inner circle that they had set a July 28 deadline for trading the pitcher, and Halladay had not given the team a definitive list of clubs to which he would approve a trade.

But the deadline, first reported by The New York Times, makes sense, and not simply because of the complications raised by Halladay's no-trade clause and the fact that he is scheduled to pitch July 29.

An early resolution would give the Jays time to sell off other parts, as detailed by FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi. The Jays also could go in the opposite direction if they kept Halladay, attempting to augment their roster for next season.

Why the Dodgers need Halladay

The Padres are the only National League club getting fewer innings from their starters than the Dodgers. While Dodgers manager Joe Torre occasionally might pull his starters too quickly, he would not need to do anything of the sort with Halladay.

The Dodgers' problem in acquiring Halladay or Lee — besides the questions about owner Frank McCourt's willingness to take on salary — remains their lack of elite pitching prospects at the upper levels.

Catcher Russell Martin no longer would qualify as the centerpiece of a blockbuster. His OPS ranks among 18th among the 23 catchers with enough plate appearances to qualify for the league leaders, and the Jays have a highly regarded catching prospect, J.P. Arencibia, at Triple-A.

Pirates' Wilson: What is he worth?

Jack Wilson wants to test the free-agent market. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

The Pirates' offer to shortstop Jack Wilson was for two years, $8.6 million, including a buyout on an option year, according to a major-league source.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington might be correct that Wilson and second baseman Freddy Sanchez will get less than the team offered on the free-agent market. But Wilson cannot be certain that is the case, and he would have a better chance to win with another club.

The baseline for Wilson is Orlando Cabrera, who signed a one-year, $4 million free-agent deal with the A's last offseason.

Wilson, who turns 32 on Dec. 29, is nearly three years younger than Cabrera and a much better defender. Cabrera is a slightly better hitter — his career OPS is .718, while Wilson's is .687.

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