Fansided

10 best MLB waiver trades since 2000

By Josh Criswell

Jul 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) hit a solo home run off of Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Kendall Graveman (31), not in picture, during the sixth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) hit a solo home run off of Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Kendall Graveman (31), not in picture, during the sixth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez doubles in the sixth inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez doubles in the sixth inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

On August 25th, 2012, the Los Angeles Dodgers completed their largest trade in franchise history.

The deal involved nine players changing teams and L.A. taking on more than a quarter of a billion dollars in salary. Los Angeles sent James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for three All-Stars: Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett. The Dodgers also received journeyman utility player Nick Punto in the deal.

In the end, the deal worked out for both parties.

At the time, the Red Sox were in the middle of their worst season in over four decades. Despite handing out massive contracts to Gonzalez and Crawford in free agency prior to the 2011 season, they were nowhere close to being a playoff team. Josh Beckett was an integral part of their 2007 World Series title, but he was not playing up to the level the team expected when they gave him a four-year, $68 million contract extension in 2010.

By 2012, it was clearly time to blow up the failed experiment, and doing so paid off quite well. By dumping Beckett, Gonzalez and Crawford’s contracts, the Red Sox were able to make several key moves the following offseason.

The end result: a 2013 World Series victory.

While the Dodgers are still searching for their first World Series appearance since 1988, their 2012 blockbuster trade with the Red Sox has set them up as a perennial contender National League West.

Beckett has since retired and Crawford has been plagued by injuries, but Gonzalez has further established himself as one of the best first basemen in baseball. As a result, he has the Dodgers vying for their third consecutive division title.

Next: Blue Jays acquire Jose Bautista

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