Adrian Gonzalez as a member of the Red Sox during their visit to Citizens Bank Park this May. (Philliedelphia/Kevin Durso)
It's rare in baseball to find anything noteworthy in terms of roster moves and transactions happening after the trade deadline at the end of July. In the week after the deadline, you might still see a trade, but usually nothing exciting happens until September when perhaps one of next year's names with Rookie of the Year potential may be called up in expanded rosters.
But yesterday, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers both started working on a megadeal that started with the only action that can lead to a post-deadline trade.
Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett were claimed off waivers by the Dodgers. Instead of pulling them back, which the Red Sox had the option to do, they listened to the Dodgers on offers. By the end of the day, another All-Star was included in the deal.
Here's the final parameters: Gonzalez, Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto were all traded by the Red Sox to the Dodgers for James Loney, Triple-A players Rubby De La Rosa, Ivan DeJesus and Jerry Sands and top prospect Allen Webster.
Here's my thought on this. First, the Dodgers are very serious about winning, especially after three trades to acquire Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton haven't helped them move into a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox are pronouncing their season over at this point.
One of my best friends, Jesse Gaunce, is a Red Sox fan, originally from Boston living in Philadelphia now – give him a follow on twitter @JesseGaunce. This is a guy who has lived through the recent good times and bad in recent Red Sox history, two of which include the current Phillies' closer. Whenever Jonathan Papelbon blows a save or loses a game, I know I'm going to hear about. It's all in good fun, and lately, it's not even worth the effort since this season the Phillies and Red Sox combined would not have a winning record.
The reaction was the same that I saw from many Phillies fans on deadline day as Victorino and Hunter Pence were sent packing, initially anyway.
Beckett was expected to go. Red Sox fans wanted him to go. Crawford was in between. Some really liked him and wanted him to say. Others said they wouldn't mind if he was gone. But the feeling was on Adrian Gonzalez was unanimous. Red Sox fans are disappointed and saddened to see him go.
I was talking to him yesterday about the earliest schedule announcements, and then got into the trade. I was the first to tell him that a trade was being worked on. He only knew of the claims on Beckett and Gonzalez.
I could tell in the beginning that this was upsetting to a degree because this was the Red Sox way of "improving." There certainly isn't much improvement right out of the gate. It would have to happen much later, like in the offseason or next year.
To put it in perspective for Phillies fans, the Red Sox are a lot like the Phillies this season. A promising pitching staff (Jon Lester, Beckett, Clay Buchholz) a solid lineup, and loads of expectations. Their season has gone the same way as the Phillies: loads of injuries to big names, a shaky bullpen, poor starting pitching at times, a slumping offense at times, ultimately a team that couldn't fire on all cylinders for most of the season.
But the difference between the Red Sox and Phillies was that the Red Sox couldn't try this trade at the deadline, not like they were going to anyway. On the morning of the trade deadline, the Red Sox were in fourth place in the AL East, 8 1/2 games back, but just four games back in the wildcard with a 52-51 record and on a three-game winning streak.
The Phillies on that day, in addition to making two trades, were 13 game back of the wildcard. It was over then.
The Red Sox are now 60-66. They are now giving up hope on this season by doing the same thing the Phillies did: dumping salary.
Beckett has been horrible for the Red Sox this season. He's 5-11 with a 5.23 ERA and has been nothing short of a distraction. Crawford has been plagued by the injury bug, but he hasn't completely lived up to a $142 million contract. Gonzalez has been one of the Red Sox best players in his short time with the team, but as Jesse told me, doesn't seem like a good clubhouse guy. In a year where the Red Sox are facing a lot of adversity, perhaps it was the logical move from an off-the-field standpoint.
This one trade eliminates more than $300 million between three contracts. It opens up room for some big moves in the offseason, much like the Phillies did with Pence and Victorino.
The Red Sox have set themselves up better than the Phillies though. Victorino and Blanton were free agents anyway. That money was coming off the books for the offseason regardless. So they technically freed up about $15 million that Pence would have made in 2013. The Red Sox had some $300 million committed to three players through at least the 2015 season. The Dodgers have taken on most of this salary.
Does this deal make the Dodgers instant contenders? No. Most of the time, these blockbuster deals don't work when it comes to championships. But the Dodgers are going all out, and I can see their thinking and can appreciate when a team does everything in their power to win.
For the Red Sox, this deal was their swan song of 2012. Much like the Phillies, a team with high expectations in 2012 also, did at the deadline, a second team with equal expectations has given up on the season and resorted to playing for pride.
It will be interesting to see how both of these teams rebound next year. Jesse has already told me he thinks the Red Sox could struggle just as much next season. I'll honestly tell you that I have my doubts about the Phillies.
But that's just the short term. As Jesse noted, the pitching staff needs an overhaul. They could use the money freed up from the trade to not only make improvements in the offseason, but to lock up players like Jacoby Ellsbury.
It's a new beginning for the Red Sox. There was quite a bit of turmoil in the clubhouse. Now, they have blown up the roster in a way Jesse says they needed to. Additionally, getting four minor-leaguers and one major-leaguer in the deal sets the Red Sox up for what could be a big offseason.
The Red Sox can return to contention next season with some good offseason acquisitions. The same goes for the Phillies.
But both of these teams have taken the same path, dumping salary to improve the pieces for next year's teams, whoever they may be. With just 36 games left in the season, we won't have to wait too long to find out.
Kevin Durso is a contributor for Philliedelphia. You can follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
