While the Boston Red Sox didn’t make any major moves on the trade front, they did make a couple of smaller moves after designating Jeremy Hermida for assignment and calling up Ryan Kalish.

First up, the Red Sox traded reliever Ramon Ramirez to the San Francisco Giants for minor leaguer Daniel Turpen, who was pitching in Double-A for the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

In 37 games for the Flying Squirrels, Turpen is 5-5 with a 4.09 ERA and one save.

Dustin Richardson was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to take the spot of Ramirez on the 25-man roster.

The final move the Red Sox made was to acquire catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia from the Texas Rangers. The Red Sox sent 1B Chris McGuiness, RHP Roman Mendez, a PTBNL and cash to the Rangers. According to Jayson Stark via Twitter, the Red Sox are sending $350,000 to the Rangers.

Salty was in Triple-A Oklahoma City working on some issues, mainly throwing the ball back to the pitcher. He was optioned to the Pawtcket Red Sox.

In 68 games for the Single-A Greenville Drive, McGuiness was hitting .298 with 12 HRs, 46 RBIs and two stolen bases.  Mendez started the season with the Short Season-A Lowell Spinners and made eight starts going 2-3 with a 4.36 ERA. He was then promoted to the Drive where he had made six starts with a 0-2 record and an 11.40 ERA.

So what do you think folks? Are you ready to write off 2010 or are you hopeful that when Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury return, the Red Sox can make a run?

Detroit Tigers @ Boston Red Sox 4:10 p.m. Fenway Park – Boston, MA SP: Max Scherzer vs Daisuke Matsuzaka TV: FOX Radio: Red Sox Radio Network

Afternoon Red Sox Delight – 7/31 [SOX & Dawgs]

NESN’s Heidi Watney is reporting that Jeremy Hermida has been designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox. The move hasn’t been officially announced yet as Hermida is in today’s starting lineup.

Update 3:37 p.m.: NESN just showed Hermida driving out of Fenway Park in his Range Rover.

Update 3:51 p.m.:: The Red Sox have made the move official designating Jeremy Hermida for assignment. The Red Sox have selected the contract of Ryan Kalish from Triple-A Pawtucket. He is in the lineup now and playing left field.

After their comeback bid fell short last night, the Boston Red Sox look to get back on the winning side of things against the Detroit Tigers in game two of a three-game set at Fenway Park.

This afternoon’s game will start at 4:10 p.m. and will be shown on FOX to 37% of the country. To find out what game you’re getting, check out the MLB on Fox breakdown for 7/31.  If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2010 Red Sox radio network.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has been pitching well as of late for the Red Sox and looks to continue that trend in his 15th start of the season. In his previous 14 starts, he is 7-3 with a 4.09 ERA. He hasn’t faced the Tigers in 2010 and is 4-1 with a 2.64 ERA in five career starts against them.

Max Scherzer makes his 20th start of 2010 for Jim Leyland and the Tigers. In his previous 19 starts, he is 7-8 with a 4.45 ERA. He’s faced the Red Sox once in 2010 and in his career back on May 14th. In that game at Comerica Park, he took the loss after allowing six runs in six innings and was subsequently demoted to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens for two weeks.

Keep reading for lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and pregame links.

Here’s the hitters have fared against this afternoon’s starting pitchers in their careers:

Jeremy Hermida was in the original lineup but he’s been designated for assignment. Ryan Kalish has been added to the 40-man and 25 man roster.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Still quiet on trade front; Doubront shifts to bullpen [Clubhouse Insider]

Sox ‘pessimistic’ about receiving bullpen help [CSN New England]

Doubront’s role changing [ESPN Boston]

Sox source: ‘Nothing major’ in the works [ESPN Boston]

Sox take on Tigers minutes after trade deadline [ESPN Boston]

Tick, tick, tick . . . [Extra Bases]

Doubront switched to bullpen [Extra Bases]

Manny on the move? [Extra Bases]

For Red Sox, Qualls not worth the investment [Full Count]

Source: Sox had ‘marginal interest’ in catcher Snyder [Full Count]

Francona: Bullpen deals a ‘crapshoot’ [Full Count]

Nothing happening with Lowell yet [Full Count]

Red Sox willing to deal their own relievers [Full Count]

Red Sox Could Finish on Top of the World or Be Making Tee Times in October [NESN.com]

Yankees Fill Voids With Lance Berkman and Austin Kearns as Red Sox Decide Not to Bolster Outfield [NESN.com]

Felix Doubront to be converted to relief in prep for likely major league move [Projo Sox Blog]

Drew plays, Cameron sits for Sox [Projo Sox Blog]

With a few hours to go, all quiet on trade front from Fenway [Projo Sox Blog]

Photo credits: AP Photo, Getty Images

While it appears that there isn’t much going on with the Boston Red Sox on the trade front as of right now, Alex Speier of WEEI.com is reporting that the Red Sox will make Felix Doubront a reliever.

According to multiple major league sources, the Red Sox will shift starter Felix Doubront to the bullpen in hopes of bolstering their struggling relief corps. Earlier in July, the team had anticipated that the left-hander would remain stretched out in the Pawtucket starting rotation since he represents valuable depth for the major league starting staff. However, with the team’s ongoing bullpen struggles, the Sox have committed to shifting him to relief for the remainder of the year, a process that will begin immediately. According to the sources, Doubront’s shift to relief will occur regardless of whether the Sox make any moves to acquire bullpen help.

Doubront would become the second starter the Red Sox have converted to a reliever. Michael Bowden was shifted to the bullpen earlier in the season and has made a few apperances with the Red Sox out there as well this season.

Doubront, who is currently with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox, has made three starts for the big club and has a 1-2 record with a 4.11 ERA. He’s made eight starts for the PawSox and is 4-3 with a 3.34 ERA. He also made eight starts for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs where he was 4-0 with a 2.51 ERA.

Photo credit: AP Photo

The Boston Red Sox entered their game last night against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park on a high coming off of a three-game sweep of the Angels in Anaheim. But apparently they were either bothered by jet lag or too much partying at Beckett Bowl on Thursday night.

Even with Kevin Youkilis taking out Tigers starter Armando Galarraga on a line drive off of his ankle in the 5th, it took the Red Sox offense until the 9th inning to wake up. And when was all said and done, it wasn’t enough as the local nine fell short in a 6-5 loss.

You have to give the Red Sox credit though. On a night where they couldn’t get much done, they didn’t quit.

They took advantage of the ineffectiveness of Tigers closer Jose Valverde to load up the bases for David Ortiz, who promptly put the Fenway faithful into a frenzy with a grand slam. But with runners on first and second, Mike Cameron apparently thought the Statue of Liberty play was on as he watched a called strike three to end the rally and the game.

Jon Lester didn’t have it last night at all. He never really got into any rhythm on the mound last night. He really didn’t have good command of his pitches nor did he execute them well. He did record seven strikeouts but also allowed a career-high 11 hits.

This is the third straight start where Lester hasn’t looked good on the mound which is something we’re not used to around these parts. Lester is usually dominant around this time of the year but he’s looked far from the form in the early half of the season that made him an AL All-Star.

The trade deadline comes up for all 30 of the MLB teams at 4 p.m. and as the day goes on, we’ll learn if the Red Sox are buyers, sellers or will just stand their ground. One thing’s for certain, as the Rays and Yankees continue to make moves, the Red Sox will either have to do something or decide to put this season behind them.

I certainly hope it’s not the latter.

We’ll be back in a bit with today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups, any news and links from the day but for now enjoy the overnight links after the jump.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Video: The Nation Lives For Terry Francona (New Version) [SOX & Dawgs]

Wait till next month: Red Sox should hold off on trades [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Red Sox don’t have enough [Boston Globe]

Lowell awaits word on next assignment [Boston Globe]

Visitor’s pass for Damon [Boston Globe]

Sox recap: Tigers 6, Red Sox 5 [Boston Herald]

Johnny Damon has ring tone [Boston  Herald]

Rehabbing Jacoby Ellsbury: ‘We’re all on same page’ [Boston Herald]

Mike Lowell in waiting game [Boston Herald]

Jon Lester loses it [Boston Herald]

Cameron: ‘I guess I’ll be the goat for today’ [Clubhouse Insider]

Will the Red Sox make a deal? [Clubhouse Insider]

Ortiz’s slam not enough, Sox lose 6-5 [CSN New England]

Sox running out of options before deadline [CSN New England]

Ortiz’s grand slam goes for naught [ESPN Boston]

Source: Sox not close to anything [ESPN Boston]

Sox have a few hours, but not optimistic about a deal [Extra Bases]

Wood, activated by Indians, possible Sox target [Extra Bases]

Damon: Sox would have won one more if stayed [Full Count]

Gammons on The Big Show: Relievers available are ‘bottom feeders’ [Full Count]

Closing Time: Tigers 6, Red Sox 5 [Full Count]

Patterson explains ill-advised stolen base attempt [Full Count]

Lester laments a night when he had ‘nothing’ [Full Count]

A real pain in Damon’s back [Full Count]

What happened in Cameron’s last at-bat [Full Count]

Jacoby Ellsbury Feeling Much Stronger, Will Rehab With Pawtucket This Weekend [NESN.com]

Dustin Pedroia Takes Practice Grounders at Fenway Park [NESN.com]

Johnny Damon Running From Father Time to Catch 3,000 Career Hits [NESN.com]

Johnny Damon Continues to Insist That He Never Did Anything Wrong to Boston [NESN.com]

Jon Lester: ‘Just One of Those Nights’ [NESN.com]

Red Sox Let Golden Opportunity Pass Them by in Disappointing 6-5 Loss to Tigers [NESN.com]

Jon Lester in Need of Another Turnaround to Help Red Sox [NESN.com]

Has Injury Bug Left Red Sox and Spread Throughout American League? [NESN.com]

Lester struggles again in Boston’s return to Fenway [Providence Journal]

Sox unlikely to be a big player at trade deadline [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Ellsbury’s next rehab stop will be in Pawtucket this weekend [Providence Journal]

Ellsbury headed to Pawtucket [RedSox.com]

Progress for Pedroia, Varitek [RedSox.com]

Set to return, Drew scratched again [RedSox.com]

Papi’s clutch slam not enough in wild ninth [RedSox.com]

For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal and WEEI websites.

And if you must see what the enemy papers are saying, head over to the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News and MLive.com websites. You can also check out what our Bloguin brother, Detroit4lyfe, has to say.

Photo credit: AP Photo

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below.

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