This below is from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports about the Cloak and Dagger meetings that took place in Boston on July 31 during MLB's trade deadline. I personally would have paid anything to see Sox Manager Terry Francona wearing his gameday white uniform pants and the ubiquitous red fleece pullover he always seems to be dressed in during games while he was double-parking an SUV and then walking the streets of Boston looking for Pap's residence.

Here's the scoop from Rosenthal on www.foxsports.com with a story straight out of Jonathan Papelbon's boiler room:

The Red Sox's acquisition of Eric Gagne isn't looking as good as it did on July 31, but the back-story to the trade negotiations is a keeper.

At approximately noon on July 31, four hours before the non-waiver deadline, Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon was asleep in his apartment when manager Terry Francona called.

"Pap, it's Tito!" Francona said, his voice sounding urgent.

Francona and general manager Theo Epstein wanted to speak with Papelbon about the possibility of the Red Sox acquiring closer Eric Gagne from the Rangers.

Eric Gagne has not been as solid as expected for the Red Sox. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press)

The two left Fenway Park for Papelbon's apartment in downtown Boston, along with Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell and bullpen coach Gary Tuck.

Francona already was in uniform, more than six hours before the Sox's 7:05 p.m. game against the Orioles that night. After parking, he had to walk a block to Papelbon's building in his home whites, no doubt stunning his fellow pedestrians.

"Tito," Papelbon said after seeing Francona, "no way."

The meeting took place in the boiler room of Papelbon's building; the pitcher was in the middle of a memorabilia signing, and his apartment was packed with boxes of balls and other items.

Epstein and Francona explained to Papelbon that he still would be the closer, but that Gagne would possibly pitch in certain save situations. Papelbon endorsed the idea, but when the group left, the trade had yet to be completed.

"See you at the field," he recalls Francona telling him. "We'll try to get the deal done."