Reports: Red Sox, Dodgers talking blockbuster trade

According to multiple reports, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers are involved in talks that would send Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto to the Dodgers for prospects and salary relief. Below is a chronology of how the events have unfolded so far:

Reports surfaced Friday afternoon that the Dodgers had been awarded waiver claims on two Red Sox players, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and starter Josh Beckett.

The Red Sox now have three options: (1) allow either of the two highly paid players to simply go to Los Angeles, shedding their salaries in the process, (2) work out a trade with the Dodgers or (3) pull them back from waivers and keep both players. Beckett, as a player with 10 years in the majors and five years with his current team, has the ability to block any trade.

The move is part of an aggressive summer for Los Angeles, which was awarded the claim on Phillies ace Cliff Lee, though a deal never came to fruition. The Dodgers traded for shortstop Hanley Ramirez, outfielder Shane Victorino, starter Joe Blanton and relievers Brandon League and Randy Choate in July.

Gonzalez is hitting .300 with 15 home runs heading into Friday night, but his contract could be seen as prohibitive as the Red Sox attempt to retool an under-performing roster.

Beckett earns $15.75 million per season through 2014, but has underperformed in 2012. Expected to be a cornerstone of the Red Sox rotation, he's just 5-11 with a 5.23 ERA and was one of the poster boys for Boston's dramatic 2011 collapse.

Both Beckett and Gonzalez's deals were done under the Theo Epstein regime. But Epstein has since become GM of the Chicago Cubs, and current GM Ben Cherington has presided over a team that starts Friday seven games under .500 and 13.5 games back in the AL East.