Three months ago, the Boston Red Sox sat at the bottom of the MLB standings with a shockingly bad 2-10 record. All-Star additions Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford had been OK and terrible, respectively. John Lackey looked like the worst regular starter in the major leagues.

But now, as we approach the trade deadline, everything has changed. Gonzalez is a bona-fide MVP candidate, Crawford seems to be turning a corner after spending some time on the DL, and Lackey has been at least one step above horrible. The line-up scores more runs than any other, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon have been one of the scariest eighth-ninth-inning combinations in baseball, and they’ve got decent middle innings from Matt Albers and Alfredo Aceves. Most importantly, the Sox now sit atop the American League with a 62-37 record and hold a three-game edge on the Yankees.

That isn’t to say that all is well at Fenway, though. Two of their three best starters, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, are on the 15-day disabled list. Josh Beckett’s remarkable bounce-back season and Lackey’s slight improvement mitigates those losses slightly, but the fragility of the starting rotation has to make Theo Epstein nervous.

Crawford’s inconsistency and fragility in left field, paired with J.D. Drew’s tough year in right, has also raised some concerns. The emergence of lefty-hitting 24-year-old Josh Reddick as Drew’s replacement – initially a temporary role, now seemingly permanent – has been a huge boon to the Sox, but they could use an extra outfielder in case Reddick falls back to earth or Crawford falls into another slump.

Their bullpen also lacks a reliable lefthander, as Randy Williams doesn’t look like a viable option.

While these all might seem like minor quibbles, Theo Epstein isn’t going to leave the phone off the hook, put his feet up and smoke a cigar while his team wins 98 games. Boston’s savvy GM has told reporters that while he doesn’t feel he has to make a move at the deadline, they’re still exploring all options.

Here’s a quick rundown at some of the players they might take a look at.

Carlos Beltran, OF, New York Mets

Beltran is the best hitter on the market and seems like a sure thing to move by July 31^st. He doesn’t want to DH – and it’s hard to imagine David Ortiz giving up that role – so unless Crawford’s play tails off drastically in the next few days, Epstein isn’t going to pay the necessary price to rent a fourth outfielder who would likely leave in free agency.

Josh Willingham, OF, Oakland Athletics

The fire sale appears to be on in Oakland, and Willingham, the lone effective bat in the A’s miserable line-up, should be on the move. He’ll come cheaper than Beltran, and would offer some balance as a right-handed bat in an all-lefty outfield. The Royals’ Jeff Francouer is a similar possibility.

Rich Harden, SP, Oakland Athletics

Harden is obviously a huge injury risk, but he’s looked OK since making his first start of the season on July 1^st. If Epstein thinks Harden can stay healthy for another couple of months, he would be a nice third or fourth starter as well as insurance in case Buchholz’s back doesn’t hold up.

Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies

The Rockies have set an extremely high price for their 27-year-old righty – understandable given that he was one of the best pitchers in MLB only 12 months ago. Another young starter with ace-quality stuff might be a luxury the Red Sox won’t be willing to bet the farm for, but sweeping him up from under the Yankees’ nose would be another feather in Epstein’s cap.

Even MLB baseball betting players get a little light-hearted at times, and one of the best ways to have some fun? Looking at hot women, of course. Here is a look at the top five wives (and fiancées) in Major League Baseball right now.

Julia Schultz (Brett Tomko)

Tomko has been in the minors for most of the year, but who cares? He married Schultz, who was a Playboy Playmate in February 1998. Not bad for a guy who has played for 10 MLB teams.

Karina Smirnoff (Brad Penny)

Sports betting players may remember Smirnoff’s name from “Dancing With The Stars” props, and she was in the May 2011 issue of Playboy. Thumbs up for Penny, who is still a decent pitcher in Detroit, as he asked Smirnoff to marry him in October.

Joanna Garcia (Nick Swisher)

Swisher is a New York Yankee, so of course, he’s married to an actress. Garcia isn’t very well known, but that doesn’t stop her from being an incredibly attractive woman, especially when you factor in Swisher’s looks.

Kelly Bartlett (Jason Bartlett)

The Bartletts have been married since 2008, and Jason is a very lucky man as Kelly has quietly moved up the ranks of hot player wives. It makes you forget that Jason isn’t a very good baseball player.

Jamie Kotsay (Mark Kotsay)

Unlike the woman ahead of her, Jamie became an internet sensation when a picture of her playing softball hit cyberspace, and you can pretty much put her in the Hall of Fame now when it comes to baseball wives. We’re betting Mark is very protective of her.

With the best power hitters in MLB descending on Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona tonight for the 2011 Home Run Derby, it’s worth taking a minute to recognize the players having the best all-around seasons at the plate heading into the All-Star Break.

Jose Bautista, RF/3B, Toronto Blue Jays

Let’s just get this out of the way first – Jose Bautista is the best swinger of baseball bats and hitter of baseballs alive. After skyrocketing out of obscurity with a Blue Jays-record 54 home runs in 2010, he was rewarded with a lucrative 5-year, $64-million contract. What initially seemed like a risky contract for a potential one-hit wonder is now the best bargain in baseball. Bautista has become a much more complete hitter in 2011, raising his batting average nearly 75 points while keeping his home run pace from last year and leading major league baseball in walks, on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS. If it weren’t for a June “slump” in which he only batted .258, he’d be in the midst of a season comparable to the best of Bonds or Ruth.

Jose Reyes, SS, New York Mets

A much different player than Bautista, Reyes is the best leadoff man alive. He’s on pace for 27 triples, which would be the most in a single season since Chief Wilson hit 36 for the Pirates…in 1912. He’s sixth in the National League in slugging percentage despite only hitting three home runs – such is his knack for extra base hits. His .354 average is tied for the best in baseball. The statistical oddities abound, but most importantly, without Reyes, the Mets would be sitting at the bottom of the MLB standings. Few players are more valuable.

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Boston Red Sox

So much a NL-to-AL drop-off. Gonzo has been even better in Boston than he was in San Diego, improving his numbers across the board despite playing in the AL East. He leads the majors in batting average and RBIs (for what it’s worth), and only gets better when it counts. (His average jumps nearly 80 points with runners on base, even moreso with runners in scoring position and 2 outs.) He has been the steadiest contributor for a Red Sox team that took a few weeks to really round into shape, and now might be the best team in baseball.

Matt Kemp, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Kemp has been one of the few bright spots in a nightmare season for the Dodgers. The team is a bargaining chip in a messy divorce trial, and their lineup scores the fifth-fewest runs in baseball. Thankfully, along with Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw, Kemp is doing his best to make them watchable. He’s tied for second in the National League with 22 homers while trailing only Reyes and Houston’s Michael Bourn in stolen bases (with an excellent 90% success rate.) His .398 OBP is by far the best of his career – the sign of a player with unlimited ability finally growing into a mature, disciplined player. He can hit the ball to all fields, and he can hit it hard.

Those watching NFL betting lines may be better served to check out the NCAA, which will kick off in September, and here is a look at the top five stories that you should keep an eye on during the road to the BCS title.

Ohio State

Coach Jim Tressel and quarterback Terrelle Pryor are no longer in Columbus after a massive violations scandal, and now the Buckeyes are just a mid-pack team in the Big Ten instead of a BCS title favorite. Can Ohio State keep their head above water and more importantly, can they beat Michigan for the eighth straight year?

Conference Expansion

Sports betting players watched the Big Ten and Pac-10 expand to 12 teams, although only the Pac-12 changed their name. Instead, the Big Ten broke their conference up into the Legends and Leaders division in one of the most laughable moves of the offseason.

SEC Domination

The SEC has won the last five national titles and furthermore, the crown hasn’t left the state of Alabama in two years as Auburn followed their state rivals with last season’s win. Oklahoma is the preseason No.1 pick, but expect the Crimson Tide to be a factor, along with LSU, Arkansas and Georgia.

NCAA Violations

This has been the story of the offseason as Ohio State suffered, North Carolina continue to suffer from last year and Oregon (who lost to Auburn in last year’s BCS title game) could be in huge trouble next. Keep an eye on the news, because violations are popping up all over.

Did Andrew Luck Make The Right Decision?

Luck was slated to be the No.1 pick in the draft, but decided not to follow coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL. Jake Locker made a similar decision last year and it was the wrong choice. While Luck may not be the top pick next year, it bodes well for Stanford’s 2011 sports betting odds.