Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reports the Red Sox are ''close'' to acquiring OF Marlon Byrd. The Red Sox are looking for an upgrade in center field with Jacoby Ellsbury (shoulder) and Carl Crawford (wrist) sidelined. It's not yet known how much, if any, of Byrd's $6.5 million salary the Cubs are willing to cover, but a deal between the two sides now seems likely to get done. Byrd is in the final season of a three-year, $15 million contract signed in 2010.