holy shit
Red Sox, Dodgers Nearing Blockbuster
By
Ben Nicholson-Smith [August 24, 2012 at 4:52pm CST]
4:52pm: Boston would send some cash to Los Angeles if the sides complete a deal Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports. Morosi confirms that the sides are close to a trade (
Twitter links).
4:34pm: The Red Sox and Dodgers are closing in on a trade that would send
Adrian Gonzalez,
Josh Beckett,
Carl Crawford and
Nick Punto to Los Angeles, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports (on
Twitter). Hurdles remain, but the sides continue working toward a deal.
The Dodgers recently won the claiming rights to
Gonzalez and
Beckett. Gonzalez can't block a trade to Los Angeles, but Beckett must approve any assignment as a player with ten and five rights. Crawford and Punto
cleared waivers earlier this month and can be traded without waiver-related restrictions.
The Dodgers have been willing to take on considerable salaries since their new ownership group gained control of the club at the beginning of the 2012 season. Adding the four Red Sox players would represent a substantial financial commitment:
[*]Gonzalez will earn $21MM per season through 2016 and obtain a raise to $21.5MM for 2017-18. The total exceeds $130MM when accounting for the remainder his 2012 salary.
[*]Beckett will earn $15.75MM per season through 2014. As noted above, he must approve any trade.
[*]Crawford will earn $20MM in 2013, $20.25MM in 2014, $20.5MM in 2015, $20.75MM in 2016 and $21MM in 2017. His contract allows him to block trades to two teams.
[*]Punto earns $1.5MM per season through 2013.
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The Dodgers claimed
Cliff Lee on waivers earlier this month after trading for
Shane Victorino,
Hanley Ramirez,
Joe Blanton and
Brandon League. The Dodgers would have to place MLB players on waivers before trading them to Boston, which could complicate trade talks.