Hideki Okajima

Hideki Okajima was once a lockdown bullpen option for the Boston Red Sox, but he hasn’t appeared in a Major League Baseball game since 2013. The southpaw reportedly could be making a comeback after spending some time in Japan.

Continue for updates.

It's time we all take a breather from worrying about the sports themselves and focus on the players involved. This article is written with the intent of recognizing that there are bigger things that we should be focusing on at this time in the world rather than sports. On 3/11/2011 an unprecedented 8.9 earthquake rocked the country of Japan. It brought devastation, injuries, life loss and widespread panic but that was only the beginning.

Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe is reporting that the Boston Red Sox are close to finalizing a one year deal that would bring the left-handed reliever back to Boston for one more year.

The Sox had formerly non-tendered Okajima earlier in the offseason. He was due a pay raise on the $2.75 million he earned in 2010, a figure which the Red Sox didn't think he was worth.

Milwaukee Brewer Trevor Hoffman isn't available at this year's trade deadline, but that didn't stop Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein from asking after the closer he first met while working for the San Diego Padres, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Not remotely effective this season, Hoffman owns a 6.82 ERA over 33 innings and joins a nearly all-inclusive group of relievers that the Red Sox are pursuing in the final days leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline this Saturday.

With only a mere four days away from the July 31st Major League Baseball trade deadline, not only will we see many trade rumors flying around, but we will start to see actual trades being made.

One team that will most certainly make a move, and is in no way a stranger to this time of year, is the Boston Red Sox.

Sunday night's game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees marked the beginning of the 2010 MLB regular season.

Despite the return of Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez to throw out the first pitch, the season's inaugural game was anything but a pitchers' duel.

It didn't take long for Boston's Josh Beckett to run into trouble against the stacked Bronx Bomber lineup.

The Boston Red Sox enter Spring Training with the starting lineup and pitching rotation essentially squared away. With the addition of players like Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro and Mike Cameron to the starting nine and the likes of John Lackey to the rotation, the major pieces have fallen into place.
But baseball is most certainly a marathon and not a sprint, and by the end of the season roster spot No. 25 can be as crucial as No. 1.

This is part two of my updated two-part series highlighting the Boston Red Sox' potential Opening Day roster.