The Los Angeles Dodgers have finalized a trade with the Boston Red Sox that would send 1B Adrian Gonzalez, OF Carl Crawford, and P Josh Beckett to Los Angeles. In return, the Dodgers would be giving away 1B James Loney and four young prospects. In short, this deal is a win for both the Dodgers as well as the Red Sox.
Boston is able to get rid of the massive contracts that Gonzalez, Crawford, and Beckett are currently under. The benefit of getting rid of those huge contracts allows for the Red Sox to instead rebuild with young prospects. For the Dodgers, they are able to boost their roster and pitching staff. Carl Crawford has undergone Tommy John surgery, therefore he is out for the year, but is expected to return next season. The Dodgers are betting that a change of scenery will be advantageous for Gonzalez, Crawford, and Beckett. For the amount of money that the Dodgers are taking on, all of these players need to come through in major ways.
These moves by Dodgers’ management, shows just how much they are willing to put into this season and for the future. No question they are taking a huge risk with picking up not only the big money contracts, but also wondering what Carl Crawford will be like next season, and more importantly beyond that, after his surgery. No trades are without risks, and while these players have faced scrutiny, for one reason or another, the Dodgers may be able to revive these players’ careers into what they once were prior to joining the Red Sox.
On paper, this may be one of the few trades that are both exactly what each team needed and wanted. To see who gained the most from this trade, we will have to wait because only time will tell. For the present though, the Dodgers have made additions to the team that have to come in and produce. As the MLB season is coming to a rapid end, it appears as though every time the Dodgers inch closer to the San Francisco Giants in the standings, they once again fall three games behind. While this trade is a deal for the future, the present may be even more important because this may be the Dodgers last effort to try and overtake the Giants and win the National League West.
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