So speculates the Boston Business Journal, which throws out a few other names as possible buyers--including Herald owner Pat Purcell and Jack Connors, chair of Partners HealthCare's board of trustees.

A week or two ago, after hearing that Connors was still interested in the paper, I called his office to see if the rumor was legit.

The Boston Herald reports that owner/publisher Pat Purcell has a new gig as executive chairman of the News Corp.-owned Ottaway Newspapers. This is a big job; in the words of the Herald's Frank Quaratiello, Purcell "will be responsible for the eight Ottaway daily newspapers, 15 weekly newspapers, magazines and Internet sites."