BOSTONAt this time of the season almost every team will put almost every player on its roster through trade waivers. Within 48 hours the team placing a player on waivers will find out if another team has claimed the player or if the player cleared.
If a player clears, the team has until the end of the season to work out a trade for him with any other team.
If a player is claimed, the team placing him on waivers has three options: 1) let him go to the claiming team, 2) try to work out a trade with the claiming team, or 3) pull him back.
The Red Sox learned Friday afternoon that both Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez were claimed by the Dodgers.
CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam was first to report the Beckett news.
The two teams have 48 hoursthat is, until 1:30 p.m. on Sundayto work out a deal.
As a 10-5 player10 years of major league service, five with the same teamBeckett would have to approve both a waiver claim and a trade
Boston Red Sox
Gonzalez declined to speak about the situation Friday afternoon, saying, Waiver claim? Im not talking about that.
Manager Bobby Valentine had no knowledge of the claim by the Dodgers of Gonzalez.
I dont know. I talked to general manager Ben Cherington this afternoon, Valentine said. There was no mention at all. There wasnt a mention of Disregard it or who do you want There wasnt any conversation so I believe its nothing more than the standard operational . . . a guy gets claimed, its a block, its not a trade and life goes on.
It can be a time of uncertainty, though, for some players as they go through the process.
Theyre all different players, Valentine said. Everyones an individual and they take things differently and when I was playing if someone claimed me, Id be happy as hell because that would be flattering that someone wanted me. In Adrian's case I think its still flattering that if a team wants him, how can they not want him? Hes a great player. Thats the other thing: how can someone not want to claim him?
Every player goes on these waivers during this month. Every player. And the game is if someone really wants someone, they claim him and they try to make a trade and if someone doesnt want him and they dont want the player to go to another team, then theyll claim him and really not try to make a trade and say, Hey, well offer a bag of balls and the conversations over. And the other team who wants them cant get them.
Its gone on forever. The difference now is -- and I know we get blamed a lot in our clubhouse about who can keep a secret -- the problem now is people in baseball can't keep a secret. This stuff is not supposed to be out but obviously someone whos privy to the information, who decides to let that stuff out. I guess its stuff you can't combat but its not right.
It can be an added distraction.
Yeah, someones trying to say, Oh, well make their life a little miserable and let this one out, Valentine said. Ill guarantee 10 guys were claimed in the last week, maybe 20. And have we heard about 20 guys being claimed and going to different teams? Maybe there havent been but you would think that other guys get claimed.
If Valentine addresses it with Gonzalez or any other player, it would be along the lines of letting the player know hes wanted.
Yeah, Ill see Adrian and Ill tell him how much I love him and want him and think that he should be here, Valentine said. And hell look at me and say, Oh, I wonder if thats true. I wonder if theres a trade brewing.' Until the whole thing is over and he is our player forever then its all kind of BS.