The Portland Sea Dogs lost closer Anastacio Martinez when the Red Sox dealt the 24-year-old right-hander and Brandon Lyon to Pittsburgh for Scott Sauerbeck and Mike Gonzalez on Tuesday.

With Major League Baseball’s trading deadline just four days away and the Red Sox said to still be in the market for a starting pitcher, a couple of more Sea Dogs could be on the move soon.

Usually when a trade is made at this point, it is an established major leaguer dealt in exchange for prospects.

Three of the Red Sox top prospects, catcher Kelly Shoppach, third baseman Kevin Youkilis and pitcher Jorge De La Rosa, all play for the Sea Dogs.

Pitcher Josh Stevens and center fielder Jeremy Owens have both had breakout years and are also prime candidates to be dealt. Pawtucket infielder Freddy Sanchez and a pair of Class A players, Sarasota pitcher Phil Dumatrait and Augusta shortstop Hanley Ramirez will also draw some interest as Thursday’s midnight deadline approaches.

The Red Sox have made a commitment to build up their minor-league system, which has been among the worst in baseball in recent years.

Part of that process involves holding on to younger players.

But if the right deal comes along, general manager Theo Epstein won’t hesitate to pull the trigger, even if it means trading a possible budding star.

“I don’t think you say anyone is untouchable,” said Red Sox farm director Ben Cherington.

“We’ve got an idea of what players are attractive to other teams. We know what they’re worth to us and Theo won’t trade them unless he feels what we get back is of equal value or better.”

One danger of trading prospects is that one of the players you deal turns into a star, as third baseman Jeff Bagwell did after being sent to Houston for pitcher Larry Andersen back in 1990.

Like Youkilis, Bagwell had displayed little power, with just six home runs in the minors.

Bagwell, of course, went on to become an all-star and last week clubbed the 400th home run of his career.

Youkilis, who has the best on-base percentage in baseball, likely won’t ever hit more than 10-15 home runs in a season at any level.

But he has the potential to be a Wade Boggs type player, hitting for average and drawing a lot of walks.

The other downfall is that the player you acquire turns out to be a dud, as Cliff Floyd was last summer in Boston after the Red Sox gave up pitching prospects Seung Song and Sunny Kim.

Shoppach, rated as the Red Sox No. 2 prospect by Baseball America, said the possibility of being traded is something you can’t think about.

“If you get that in your mind, sometimes it can affect you on the field,” said Shoppach. “If you get traded, it’s part of the business.”

A good deal

Despite losing Martinez, Sea Dogs manager Ron Johnson sees the deal as a positive.

“Sure, it’s nice to be able to win here,” said Johnson. “But you have to look at the big picture. Our job is to develop players that can help (the Red Sox), whether it’s by going up or in a trade.”

With Martinez (3-1, 14 saves, 2.25 ERA) gone, the Sea Dogs will use the closer-by-committee format that drew so much attention in Boston earlier this season, but is not uncommon at the minor-league level.

Veteran Dog

Scott Aldred became the 46th different player to pull on a Sea Dogs’ uniform when he joined the team from Pawtucket last week.

The team record for most players used in a season is 49, which was set last year.

Aldred is a veteran of nine big league seasons.

He was pitching in the independent Atlantic League when he signed with the Red Sox in mid-June.

The 35-year-old left-hander took his demotion to Double-A in stride.

“I’ve been around long enough to know that you just go with it,” said Aldred. “To me, where I’m pitching is not as important as how I’m pitching.”

Sox in Maine

The Red Sox will hold a rally in Portland’s Monument Square tomorrow from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m..

In attendance will be owner John Henry, team president and CEO Larry Lucchino and other members of Boston’s ownership group.

The contingent is touring New England to show its appreciation to Red Sox fans.

During the event, Sept. 14 will be declared Maine Day at Fenway Park.

Also on hand will be Gov. John Baldacci and a number of local dignitaries.

Sea Dogs’ player will also be signing autographs.

Tuning in

Tickets may be hard to come by at Hadlock Field, but fans will have the chance to see the Sea Dogs four more times on television.

New England Sports Network (NESN) will have tomorrow night’s doubleheader against Trenton beginning at 6 p.m. and the regular season finale against New Haven on Sept. 1 at 1 p.m.

Channel 8 (WMTW) will air games on Aug. 7 against Binghamton and Aug. 22 with Erie. Both of those contests start at 7 p.m.

Montalbano out again

Pitcher Greg Montalbano has been sent to the Red Sox complex in Fort Myers, Fla., and likely won’t return to Portland this season.

Montalbano went on the disabled list on May 4 with shoulder tendinitis.

He returned to the Sea Dogs on July 13 and made just one start before going back on the DL with a blister on his pitching hand. Montalbano (2-1, 9.39) missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.

Bill Foley is assistant sports editor. He can be reached by e-mail at bfoley@sunjournal.com

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