With new ownership at the helm in 2012, the Los Angeles Dodgers looked to simultaneously field a competitive product on the field while also rebuilding a depleted farm system. Under the guidance of Guggenheim Baseball Management, the club showed a willingness to spend at all costs in order to accomplish those goals.
That was evident when the Dodgers pulled off a stunning nine-player blockbuster later that August with the Boston Red Sox that saw Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto head to Los Angeles.
In order to consummate the trade, the Dodgers agreed to absorb more than a quarter of a billion dollars in salary, while also sending first baseman James Loney and four prospects to Boston.