It was a busy day today, as the MLB trade deadline hit at 4 pm EST. Many teams made moves to help their franchise, but perhaps no team had a more important day than the Boston Red Sox. The Sox pulled off two deals today, adding a powerful young first baseman, as well as an perennial All-star catcher.

The first deal made was a three-way trade, in which the Sox gave up three minor leaguers for first baseman Casey Kotchman from Atlanta. Additionally, Boston picked up switch hitting catcher Victor Martinez from the Cleveland Indians.

“We think Victor Martinez is a great fit for our club and provides a significant offensive boost, and he does it with some versatility that complements our roster really well,” said Epstein. “He can catch and give ‘Tek a little bit of a rest behind the plate, and he can play first base and get some at-bats there. He can DH a little bit, so we thought it was a good fit for our roster, and he provides some offensive support and some depth at the same time.”

Martinez will join the club on Saturday in Baltimore. Grab some Red Sox tickets, and see what sort of role he’s going to play.

An earlier report surfacing today revealed that David Ortiz was one of the 104 players listed as testing positive in a 2003 drug test that has already incriminated several high-profile stars. Big Papi didn’t take a passive stance, however as he immediately released a statement regarding the report.

“Honestly, right now, I don’t have [any] information about it,” Ortiz said. “I’m going to get more info about the situation and I’m going to honestly tell you guys what’s up. Right now, I don’t have [any] answers. I’ve got no information. The next few days, I’m going to get some information about it.”

When pressed further, he indicated that he would be on a fact-finding mission in order to clear up any questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the reported positive test. He also indicated that he will offer complete transparency regarding the matter:

“I want to talk about this situation and I will as soon as I have more answers. In the meantime I want to let you know how I am approaching this situation. One, I have already contacted the Players Association to confirm if this report is true. I have just been told that the report is true. Based on the way I have lived my life, I am surprised to learn I tested positive. Two, I will find out what I tested positive for. And, three, based on whatever I learn, I will share this information with my club and the public. You know me — I will not hide and I will not make excuses.

The next few days should be interesting as Red Sox fans and the nation watch and wait. Interestingly, Ortiz blasted a game-winning home run tonight only hours after the report was released.

Current Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, along with former Sox star Manny Ramirez were among the 104 players who tested positive in anonymous testing procedures back in 2003. The two players join Alex Rodriquez, Miguel Tijada, and Roger Clemens in having their names leaked from the report which specifies that the players’ names would not be released.

The leak adds to Ramirez’s troubles as he begins to bounce back from a 50-game suspension from earlier in the season after testing positive for a female fertility drug that is on the MLB’s list of banned substances. As for Ortiz, this is the first tick on his otherwise flawless record, though some have speculated that his performance might be aided by PEDs.

This is just another in a string of many, many steroids stories to surface in the past 5 years, and it feels like the fans are getting numb to the controversy. Regardless, it should be interesting to see how the former dynamic duo from Boston handle the newly discovered information. Grab some Red Sox tickets or Dodgers tickets today and find out.