Tick, tick, tick ....

With the 4 p.m. deadline for nonwaiver trades approaching, it looks like the Devil Rays are not going to be making any deals.

Unless something unexpected happens in the final hours (or minutes), SS Julio Lugo appears likely to stay with the Rays, and without a contract extension.

He is not going to Boston, at least not as part of rumored three- and four-way deals that were flying around Fenway Park and the Internet Sunday night. It's true the Padres need a third baseman (which the Red Sox in theory could provide with Mike Lowell) and the Red Sox need pitching (which the Padres could provide with Scott Linebrink and maybe others) and the Rays want prospects and young major-leaguers (which both teams have), but there was no deal to be made.

And the subsequent rumors of the Rays trading Lugo for Sox 2B Mark Loretta made even less sense. The Rays would have no use for Loretta, and the Sox would be taking a huge gamble in trying to move Lugo to second base in the midst of a pennant race.

Though the Rays need to add an infielder to take Ty Wigginton's place for Monday night's game with Detroit, and though B.J. Upton seems to be the obvious fit, the Rays as of midday, have yet to make any announcement about a roster move.