On Aug. 25, 2012, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers completed a nine-player trade that altered the course of both franchises. The Dodgers acquired Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian González and Nick Punto in a deal that added over $250 million in salary.
Boston received Ivan De Jesus Jr., Rubby De La Rosa, James Loney, Jerry Sands and Allen Webster. More importantly, they finished the 2012 season under the luxury tax threshold and avoided the 40-percent repeater penalty.
There was a stretch where only González remained with the Dodgers, while the Red Sox no longer have any player from the trade. Although Crawford was injured at the time, Beckett was in the twilight of his career and Punto not much more than a complimentary piece, the trade signified a changing of the guard.
The Guggenheim Baseball Management Group was not long into their tenure, and adding that much salary in one fell swoop was a welcomed change from the tumultuous Frank McCourt era.
Although the Dodgers received the best player(s) in the trade, it was the Red Sox who first won a World Series (2013). However, the impact González had on the field and throughout the community cannot be understated.
He introduced himself to a new fan base in dramatic fashion by hitting a three-run home run in his first at-bat with the Dodgers.
What’s more, González went on to hit his 100th career home run in a Dodgers uniform, which at the time tied him with Steve Yeager for 25th in franchise history. González also reached 2,000 career hits during the 2017 season.
Punto had his share of memorable moments with the Dodgers, Beckett threw a no-hitter on May 25, 2014, and Crawford struggled to remain healthy and was ultimately released from the organization in June 2016.
Adrian González trade a top Dodgers moment
The significance of completing a trade with the Red Sox in 2012 has been recognized by many as one of the key moments in Dodgers franchise history over the past decade.
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