Players were not surprised at a deal that will rock the baseball world.
Boston Red Sox's Josh Beckett is still scheduled to pitch for the Red Sox Saturday night, but he might be headed to Los Angeles and the Dodgers instead.BOSTON - In a dizzying day of rumor and activity, the Red Sox found themselves poised to make a trade that would change the direction of the franchise.
The Sox were engaged in talks with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a deal that looked destined to send Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to LA for first baseman James Loney and four prospects.
The minor leaguers were pitchers Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster, outfielder Jerry Sands and second baseman Ivan DeJesus Jr.
Gonzalez declined comment before Friday's game against Kansas City. Seven minutes before the scheduled first pitch, he was scratched from the Red Sox lineup, a telling sign that negotiations were heating up.
On the West Coast, the Dodgers announced that Loney would not play against Miami.
Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said he has not been part of the discussions, nor does he need to be.
"It's all in the works. I have a lot on my plate, and the last thing I need is a lot of what-ifs,'' Valentine said.
The manager said he spoke to Gonzalez when the player was pulled from the lineup.
"He had heard about it. He wasn't surprised,'' Valentine said.
"He asked, did this happen? I said no, but it might.''
The prize for Boston would be De La Rosa, 23, a top right-handed pitching prospect who has returned from Tommy John elbow surgery.
Sands has hit 117 minor league homers, with a season high of 35. The deal would also allow Boston to shed all or part $263 million in salary commitments to three players whose long-term deals have become albatrosses to the club.
Gonzalez is owed more than $130 million in a deal that stretches to 2018. He is an outstanding player and by no means a problem, but he has become visibly annoyed with the constant turmoil and scrutiny involved with playing in Boston.
Crawford just underwent Tommy John elbow surgery. He is owed more than $100 million on a contract through 2017.
While debate has occurred over whether Gonzalez is worth the money he is paid, Crawford has been an unmitigated bust in Boston. Dumping Beckett, though, would likely be viewed as the most appealing part of the entire deal.
The right-hander is 5-11 with a 5.23 ERA and has not won since July 15. He will be owed $31 million over the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and questions about his clubhouse influence have dominated the headlines since last September.
The deal would plunge first-year general manager Ben Cherington into the spotlight, not unlike the way the 2004 Nomar Garciaparra trade stamped Theo Epstein as a GM of boldness and substance.
Beyond the electrifying nature of each deal, however, they could not be more different. The 2004 trade filled holes in a talented Red Sox lineup, and helped make the World Series title that year a reality.
This deal would represent a makeover unlike any the Red Sox have undertaken in memory.
It would be a break from the Epstein-generated strategy of spending big money in the 2010-11 offseason and building the team around Crawford, Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and a pitching staff that relied on Beckett.
Beckett is scheduled to pitch for the Red Sox Saturday. Valentine said on Friday that he was still the listed starter.
The Dodgers were awarded a waiver claim on Gonzalez, and put in a claim for Beckett Friday.
Beckett would need to give his approval, since he is a 10-year veteran with at least five years on his current team.
He has not indicated how he would respond, but Los Angeles would carry appeal as a good team in a major market.
Gonzalez is a different story. He is hitting .300 with 15 home runs and 86 RBIs, and leads the major leagues with a .400 average with runners in scoring position.
Red Sox players were not surprised at the pending deal.
"Nothing would shock me. It happens all the time - that's the way the game is,'' outfielder Cody Ross said.
"One day you're here, one day you're not. Everyone here is fair game,'' shortstop Mike Aviles said.
"I can't comment on it till it's done. I can't say how I'll feel about it till it happens,'' pitcher Jon Lester said.
Valentine knows the long-term benefits would come at the loss of a star first baseman.
"We win, lose, and go through a lot together. But if Adrian is not here, it's hard to say that helps the team,'' he said.
The Dodgers would not entertain trade talks involving De La Rosa before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. His fastball has been timed at 100 miles per hour.
He was 4-5 in 13 games with 10 starts for the Dodgers in 2011, but underwent Tommy John surgery that August.
He was recalled to the majors Wednesday, walked two batters and was charged with two runs in two-thirds of an inning. The appearance was probably designed to showcase that he was healthy.
De La Rosa's fastball has been timed in the 90s since the surgery, and he believes he could reach 100 again. He was optioned to Double A after his Wednesday outing against San Francisco.
The left-handed Loney, 28, is a gifted defensive first baseman and a .284 career hitter who averaged 12.6 home runs per year from 2007-2011. He is hitting .254 with four home runs this year.