MLB Trade Rumors: Red Sox Put Jacoby Ellsbury And Jon Lester On Waivers

The Boston Red Sox appear to be headed towards a major roster shake-up this offseason. They have started to gauge interest on their players by placing them on waivers and Jacoby Ellsbury and Jon Lester are the latest two Red Sox eligible to be claimed.

Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury are the latest Red Sox to be placed on trade waivers.

— Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) August 24, 2012

Ellsbury is making a little over $8 million this season and is set to become a free agent in 2014. He is arbitration eligible next season.

Lester makes $7.6 million this season, $11.6 million next season and has a $13 million team option in 2014.

If either player is claimed, Boston can let the player go, pull him back or work out a trade with the team that claimed him.

For more Boston Red Sox coverage, visit our team page and blog, Over the Monster.

Derek Lowe Rumors: Red Sox GM Ben Cherington: 'If It Makes Sense To Pursue, We'll Do So'

The Boston Red Sox and pitcher Derek Lowe could be headed for a reunion. Lowe was designated for assignment by the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday and has expressed interest in returning to the Red Sox (via Boston).

Lowe has headed to Florida to his Fort Myers home to get a "tune-up." Lowe said when asked if he wanted to return to Boston, "Of course I would. I just need to go back with Chris and get my stuff right again. I know I will. I know I can pitch like I did the first two months of the season." Chris Correnti will work with Lowe in Florida where he is an employee of the Baltimore Orioles.

Lowe previously pitched for Boston from 1997-2004. This season with Cleveland, the 39-year-old pitcher was 8-10 with a 5.52 ERA.

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said that the team has not made decision about Lowe but that it will "take a look." Cherington said, "Derek obviously had a great run here. We'll take a look at it. But we still need to focus on the guys here. We have great respect for Derek and what he did. We'll take a look at it. If it makes sense to pursue, we'll do so. That will be on the agenda today. But we still feel like we have the potential solutions internally for our rotation."

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

MLB Trade Rumors 2012: Carl Crawford Put On Waivers By Red Sox

The MLB trade deadline has come and gone and outfielder Carl Crawford was not moved to any team by the Boston Red Sox. However, that doesn't mean that Red Sox aren't still trying to trade Crawford. The team put Crawford on waivers Wednesday (via Ken Rosenthal). It is very likely that he will clear waivers due to his salary and slumping production at the plate.

If Crawford clears waivers, the team will be able to trade him before the Aug. 31 waivers trade deadline. This season, Crawford was slowed down from making his 2012 debut due to injuries. He's only played in 14 games for Boston this season and is hitting .240 with two home runs and 5 RBI in 50 at-bats. He also has as many strikeouts as hits (12). One thing Boston could potentially sell teams on is a recent hitting streak. Crawford has hit safely in each of the last five games and both of his homers have come during that same stretch.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Dangerous Trade Deadline Passes Relatively Quietly For Red Sox

For the Red Sox, inaction was the best course of action at the 2012 MLB trade deadline. Instead of blowing it up or taking less to unload troubled starts, the Sox stayed the course and merely acquired pitchers Craig Breslow and Steven Wright.

Red Sox Trades 2012: Josh Beckett Sticks Around; Minor Tweaks Made

Didn't like Josh Beckett? You aren't alone, but unfortunately for you, you're going to have to tolerate him, likely for the rest of the season. Beckett, who had been the target of trade rumors prior to Tuesday afternoon's non-waiver deadline, was not dealt, and will make his start against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night as planned.

While the Sox didn't move Beckett, they did pick up a couple of pitchers.

Boston shipped reliever Matt Albers (who wasn't particularly choked about about leaving Boston -- really, can you blame him right now?) and outfielder Scott Podsednik to the Arizona Diamondbacks for left-handed relief pitcher Craig Breslow, who pitched for the Red Sox in 2006 before being waived.

Breslow, 31, has played for six teams in seven seasons. Aside from the Red Sox and Diamondbacks, Breslow has thrown for the San Diego Padres, the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians and the Oakland Athletics. Breslow has appeared in 335 career games and owns a 14-17 record with a 3.02 ERA and 277 strikeouts. During his brief stint with the Red Sox in 2006, Breslow appeared in 13 games and had an 0-2 record with a 3.75 ERA in 12 innings. His best season came in 2010 with the Athletics, when Breslow was 4-4 with a 3.01 ERA and a career-high 71 punch outs.

Steven Wright, a minor-league kuckleball pitcher from the Cleveland Indians system, was also acquired by the Red Sox in exchange for minor league first baseman/outfielder Lars Anderson. Wright, who has never appeared in a major league game, was drafted by the Indians in the second round of the amateur draft out of the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, HI. Through six minor league seasons, Wright has a 38-33 record with a 3.95 ERA, 557 strikeouts and a 1.346 WHIP. Wright has made 103 career starts in 186 appearances and has started all 20 games he has pitched in this season, going 9-6 with a 2.49 ERA and 101 strikeouts.

As for Beckett, who I'm sure many of you would still like to see sent out of town, there is still hope. Boston could deal him via waivers, and the Red Sox have reportedly been in talks with the Texas Rangers to do so in August.

For more MLB Trade Deadline 2012 coverage, follow our stream and visit Baseball Nation.

Red Sox Trade 1B Lars Anderson To Indians For P Steven Wright

The Boston Red Sox made a trade for a pitcher at the MLB trade deadline, but not a big name one. The Red Sox sent first baseman Lars Anderson to the Cleveland Indians for Double-A starter Steven Wright.

Anderson was once a top prospect in the Red Sox system, but was unable to get promoted much to the big league club with Adrian Gonzalez ahead of him. Anderson was hitting .259 with nine homers and 52 RBI this season for Triple-A Pawtucket. He had similar production last season in Triple-A. In six games with the Red Sox this season, Anderson hit .125 in eight plate appearances.

Wright, 27, is a knuckleballer who is 9-6 this season with a 2.70 ERA for Double-A Akron. Wright is not part of the Red Sox 40-man roster (via WEEI). He has been assigned to Double-A Portland.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Craig Breslow Traded To Red Sox, Diamondbacks Acquire Matt Albers, Scott Podsednik

Needing to figure out if they're playoff contenders or trade deadline sellers, the Boston Red Sox made a small move Tuesday, as they made a move for left-handed reliever Craig Breslow in a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal was first reported by John Gambadoro, a talk-show radio host in Phoenix, who also reported the Diamondbacks received outfielder Scott Podsednik and reliever Matt Albers from the Red Sox.

Breslow is a lefty reliever who did spend the 2006 season with Boston. This season, the soon-to-be 32-year-old has compiled a 2-0 record with a 2.70 ERA.

Meanwhile, the right-handed Albers had similar numbers (2-0, 2.29 ERA) with the Red Sox, while Podsednik has played just 19 games at the major league level this season. Podsednik is expected to be sent down to the minor leagues.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Trade Rumors 2012: Josh Beckett Trade To Rangers Is Off, According To Report

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett will not be traded to the Texas Rangers, according to a report (via WEEI).

In recent days, reports came out that linked Beckett to the Rangers and the Atlanta Braves. Earlier on Monday, the Braves were ruled out of the running for Beckett. The issue for Atlanta was the size of Beckett's contract, even if the Red Sox agreed to assume a large part of the $37 million left on the right-hander's contract which expires in 2014 (via WEEI). His original deal was for $68 million over four seasons.

It was assumed that Beckett would waive his no-trade clause to join either club. Beckett is 5-9 this season with a 4.57 ERA. The MLB trade deadline is July 31 but it does not seem likely Beckett will be traded at this point.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Trade Rumors 2012: Justin Masterson On Boston's Radar

After being traded away by the Boston Red Sox in 2009, Justin Masterson might be coming back.

The Red Sox are reportedly interested in the starting pitcher, according to Nick Cafardo on Twitter.

Boston has the third worst starter's ERA in the American League, and with the rumors of Josh Beckett possibly being moved, it appears the team is looking to reshape the rotation on the fly.

That said, Masterson hasn't ever lived up to the expectations he had coming out of the minors. The 27-year-old has been shaky in 2012, with a 7-9 record and a 4.47 ERA. His best campaign was last year, when he posted a 12-10 mark and a very solid 3.21 ERA.

It's unclear what the Red Sox would have to part with in order to acquire Masterson, but it certainly wouldn't break the bank.

One real positive is Masterson's durability. The right-hander has made over 30 starts in each of the past two seasons, and is well on his way to doing so again.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Trade Rumors 2012: Boston Trying To Deal Josh Beckett

The Boston Red Sox are still in the playoff race, but sources say the team is looking to deal Josh Beckett sooner rather than later.

With his big contract and underwhelming performance, Beckett has drawn the ire of fans for quite some time. Now, the team is trying to trade the big right-hander, according to Yahoo Sports.

In the report, Jeff Passan says Boston has been in contact with the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves. Both teams have been forward about their need for starting pitching to bolster their chances in September and October.

One sticking point is the 10-and-5 clause in major league baseball, which states a player with 10 years of big-league experience who has five years of service with his current team has an automatic no-trade option. However, it's believed Beckett would waive that to join either one of the aforementioned teams.

The Red Sox are supposedly also willing to eat some of his enormous contract in order to move on, and move Beckett out of town.

For more on the Red Sox, please be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

MLB Trade Rumors: Jon Lester Not On Trading Block Despite Struggles

It still hard to tell whether or not the Boston Red Sox will choose to be buyers or sellers at the MLB trade deadline (July 31). But one thing is for certain, , ESPN.com's Gordon Edes is reporting, Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester is not on the trading block.

Despite his disappointing performance, the Red Sox will not trade Lester, a major league source said Wednesday, further reinforcing the team's decision to push for a playoff spot in 2012.

Currently, the left-hander is carrying a career-worst ERA of 5.46 and is coming off his worst MLB outing -- a four-inning, 10-hit, 11-run performance against the Toronto Blue Jays.

"[My confidence] obviously not as high as its highest it’s ever been," Lester told the Boston media on Sunday. "The thing is no one is going to feel sorry for me. I have to go out and pitch better. I have to pitch better. I’m not worried about my confidence, I’m not worried about my mechanics. I’m not worried about anything but just trying to execute pitches, and I’m not doing that."

For more on the Red Sox, be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Brent Lillibridge Traded To Indians: Boston Acquires Pitcher Jose De La Torre

All traces of Kevin Youkilis left the city of Boston Tuesday, as the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians swapped players in a minor trade. For utility player Brent Lillibridge, who was acquired by Boston in the Youkilis deal with the Chicago White Sox, the Red Sox acquired minor-league relief pitcher Jose De La Torr from the Indians.

The Indians will make a roster move to make room for Lillibridge, who played in 28 games for the Red Sox but was designated for assignment on July 16. Meanwhile, De La Torr hasn't made any appearances at the big-league level and is expected to be placed in the Red Sox minor-league system and not be a part of the Red Sox's roster when they play the Texas Rangers in Game 2 of a three-game series.

For more on the Red Sox, be sure to check out our blog Over The Monster and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Red Sox Trade Rumors: Matt Garza Reportedly Still In Play For Boston

The Boston Red Sox are "still in" on Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matt Garza, according to a tweet from ESPN baseball writer Jayson Stark. However, as Stark reports, the Sox are no longer pursuing Garza's teammate, pitcher Ryan Dempster, according to Stark's source.

RT @JaysonST #Cubs still working to trade Ryan Dempster ASAP. One source says Red Sox are officially out on Dempster, still in on Matt Garza. (via Twitter)

Garza, a former ace for the division rival Tampa Bay Rays, has a lifetime 57-61 record with a 3.85 career ERA and 862 strikeouts. This season, Garza is 5-7 with a 4.02 ERA and 93 punch outs. Since 2009, Garza has pitched against Boston a total of 13 times -- more than any other team he has faced. In those 13 games (12 starts), Garza is 4-3 with a 3.82 ERA.

For more Red Sox Trade Rumors, follow our stream and blog, Over The Monster.

Red Sox Trade Rumors 2012: Boston May Make Bold Move Before Deadline

Baseball's trade deadline (4 p.m. ET on July 31) is rapidly approaching, and the rumor mill is starting to churn for the Boston Red Sox. Larry Lucchino, president of the Red Sox, addressed his team's potential trade market activity on Thursday.

Carl Crawford Trade Rumors: Could Miami Marlins Be Interested In Blockbuster Trade?

Carl Crawford Trade Rumors: Red Sox Reportedly 'Gauging Interest' In Crawford

Carl Crawford is on the block, and he hasn't even played one week's worth of games for the Boston Red Sox this season. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Red Sox are gauging interest in their pricey lefty fielder.