Here we go again. The All-Star break is upon us, and we should be pausing to look ahead at the second half of the season and what twists and turns we’ll embark on as fans of the Red Sox roller coaster express.

Instead, we’re talking about the Arizona Diamondbacks. And, for that matter, the Houston Astros.

Not because those teams are hot. Quite the contrary. Each team entered the weekend in fifth place. In fact, it’s the very struggles the two teams are battling that has them in the news.

As you know, Randy Johnson pitches for the D-backs. At least for now. At the age of 40, with a perfect game already in his 2004 ledger, the Big Unit may not want to fade away in the desert over the final 1 years of his Hall of Fame career. He might want another chance to go for it to put a championship ring on the shelf next to his 2001 Arizona model.

Where will he go? Obviously, The Nation wants him to come to Boston, and there were reports this week that the Sox were putting on a full-court press to bring him here. These reports were dismissed as “internet BS” by general manager Theo Epstein.

And yet the reports continued. One report claimed that Shonda Schilling, wife of Curt, had requested seats next to Mrs. Randy Johnson at the All-Star Game. Johnson and Schilling were co-MVPs of that 2001 World Series, and thoughts of the pair pitching along with Pedro Martinez this fall make us absolutely giddy.

Then came the reports that Johnson preferred to go the Yankees. The New York Daily News quoted a source saying the Yankees are their team of preference.

The “they” referred to in that quote is the duo of Johnson and Roger Clemens. Yes, The Rocket is rumored to be considering a return to New York for the final three months of the regular season. His hometown team in Houston is struggling despite the addition of Carlos Beltran.

Clemens left New York on good terms, and is still very close to George Steinbrenner. It’s easy to picture him in NY pinstripes again.

Johnson is the wild card here – and would help Boston stop worrying about the A.L. Wild Card and concentrate on catching the Yankees. His addition – to any team – would be a bombshell felt throughout the league. The Big Unit in Boston would give the Sox the best Front Three ever; Johnson in New York would give the Yankees a pitching staff worthy of its devastating offense.

And so, here we are, watching and listening for any and all rumors of these big-name pitchers coming east. It’s the off-season all over again. We watched the Sox grab Schilling quickly and efficiently. Then, we watched them go after Alex Rodriguez (and Magglio Ordonez.)

That courtship took weeks, hurt the feelings of top-flight players (hello, Nomar) and led to the gut-wrenching turn of events that led A-Rod to The Bronx.

Do you have the stomach for another full-court press? Despite what management says, it’s underway and the hopes of the 2004 Red Sox could well hang in the balance.

Tom Caron is a studio host on NESN telecasts for the Boston Red Sox.