With the Boston Red Sox steadily fading from postseason contention in the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the thick of a pennant race in the National League West, the two teams completed a nine-player deal Saturday that changes the makeup of their respective divisions.
The Red Sox sent Pitcher Josh Beckett, infielder Adrian Gonzalez, outfielder Carl Crawford and infielder Nick Punto to the Dodgers for infielder James Loney and minor league players Ivan De Jesus and Allen Webster along with two players to be named later. Crawford will be of no use to the Dodgers for the rest of this season as the decision has been made for him to undergo Tommy John surgery on his ailing elbow.
Beckett who has won two World Series with the Red Sox and Florida Marlins in his career and who was the #1 pick in the 1999 Amateur Baseball draft had been struggling this season after being part of the team’s late season collapse in 2011 which saw Boston blow a nine-game wild card lead in September and be eliminated on the final day of the season. Beckett along with several other teammates were rumored to have been eating chicken and drinking beer in the clubhouse during some of those critical games.
With the trade, the Dodgers now pick up $262 million of money that the Red Sox had been paying the four players.
