ESPN Story
The Red Sox and Marlins have come to a tentative agreement on a trade that would send Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Florida for shortstop Hanley Ramirez, top pitching prospect Anibal Sanchez and another minor leaguer.
No announcement is expected Monday and the deal is contingent on the finalization of paperwork and all players passing physicals, sources outside the Red Sox organization have told ESPN's Peter Gammons.
It was believed that Texas and Florida were close to agreeing to a trade over the weekend, with the Rangers offering third baseman Hank Blalock and one of their two top pitching prospects, either Thomas Diamond or John Danks, was out of the running for Beckett.
"In the end, a deal wasn't there," Rangers GM Jon Daniels told The Dallas Morning News.
Before the Rangers were told they were eliminated from the running, Florida asked the Rangers to expand their deal even further, to include hot shortstop prospect Joaquin Arias, along with Blalock and a pitcher. In return, the Rangers would want a second pitcher back -- possibly setup man Guillermo Mota.
The Marlins, if that deal would have been completed, then would turn around and trade Blalock, who would block Miguel Cabrera's return to third base if Florida kept him. Teams known to be interested in Blalock include the Twins, Phillies and Devil Rays.
The Angels at one point were involved in the bidding on Beckett, but since have dropped out, according to one source. Still alive, but running behind the other bidders, is Detroit.
Josh Beckett's stats:
Age: 25
2005: 15-8, 3.38 ERA, 1.18 whip, 166 K, 178.2 IP, 29 GS
2004: 9-9, 3.79 ERA, 1.22 whip, 152 K, 156.2 IP, 26 GS
2003: 9-8, 3.04 ERA, 1.32 whip, 152 K, 142.0 IP, 23 GS
2002: 6-7, 4.11 ERA, 1.28 whip, 113 K, 107.2 IP 21 GS
It's interesting that he's never started more than 29 games or pitched as many as 180 in a year.