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Carl Crawford and his $140 million contract will be moving from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and—unfortunately for L.A.—his best days are in the past.

The injury-riddled and underwhelming outfielder has been included in a massive blockbuster deal between the Red Sox and Dodgers, joining Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett on the trip out west. As noted by Major League Baseball:

BLOCKBUSTER OFFICIAL: @dodgers acquire Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto from @redsox for 5-player package.

— MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2012

Crawford established himself as one of baseball’s premier outfielders with the Tampa Bay Rays. He batted over .300 in five of six seasons from 2005-2010 and recorded over 180 hits in all five of those campaigns. The only year he fell short of these marks was in 2008, when he missed time due injury.

He wreaked havoc on the base path, racking up 432 career stolen bases. He has led the league in steals four times to go along with four All-Star appearances, a Golden Glove award and an All-Star Game MVP.

That was the player the Rays knew. The Red Sox became familiar with a completely different version of Crawford.

Crawford paraded into Boston along with Gonzalez. He signed a seven-year, $142 million deal prior to the 2011 season, then played in 130 games and managed to hit just .255 during the season.

His poor production was reportedly due to a wrist injury that he had surgery for this offseason. This caused him to miss time at the beginning of the season, and after playing just 30 games in 2012, he has undergone season-ending Tommy John surgery.

Crawford is 31 years old now and is coming off two seasons in which he has struggled due to injury. He is not a young player anymore, and his injuries and age are not encouraging signs for a player whose best quality is his speed.

The Dodgers have now saddled their payroll with $101.5 million over the next five years for Crawford, as noted by ESPN’s Jayson Stark. Crawford certainly could produce better than he did in 2011, but this is an alarmingly risky bet at the price they’re paying him.

Crawford missed out on two years of what should have been his prime due to an unlucky string of injuries. His risk of getting injured again will only grow as he gets older, and like any player, his production will continue drop as he logs more and more games. While this is happening, the Dodgers will still have to keep forking over huge sums of money.

Los Angeles is bringing in big names for a push towards the World Series. Unfortunately, Crawford will not factor into those plans this season or in the future. 

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Allen Webster is one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ prospects headed to the Boston Red Sox, and he has the potential to be an excellent pitcher down the road.

According to ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes, the blockbuster deal will land Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Becket, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto in L.A., with James Loney, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus and Jerry Sands to the Red Sox.

The deal gives the Dodgers several big-name and big-money players for a playoff run, while Boston is cutting salary and gaining a significant amount of flexibility in the deal.

De La Rosa is the main prize for the Red Sox, with Webster, De Jesus and Sands all likely to factor in the team’s future plans. Here is everything you need to know about Webster.

Position: RHP

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 185 pounds 

Age: 22

Draft: 18th round, 2008, out of high school (Madison, N.C.)

Experience: three years in minor leagues

How He Fits 

The Boston pitching staff is in need of a makeover, and the team is doing well to add young pitchers while getting rid of an overpaid and under-performing veteran like Beckett.

Webster is the second-ranked prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system, according to Baseball America. The site also ranked him the 95th-best prospect in all of baseball in February.

He has spent this past season with the Chattanooga Lookouts in the Double-A Southern League. The righty has gone 6-8 in 27 games with a 3.55 ERA and 117 strikeouts and 57 walks.

There is no doubt that he has the talent to be a fixture in the Boston rotation. As a young player with plenty of potential, he is an ideal fit for the new direction the Red Sox are going in via this trade.

Why He Will Succeed

Webster is a unique prospect because he won’t receive any attention until the tail end of his senior season.

Brendan Quinn of Nooga.com notes that Webster played shortstop throughout high school and was never heavily recruited because of his sub-par hitting skills. However, a scout clocked him in the low 90s and while throwing in a relief role and sent word to the Dodgers.

With professional coaching in the minor leagues, Webster has made a vast amount of progress on his journey from raw prospect to major league pitcher. He understands that he still has much to learn and has been willing to work on his skill set throughout his time in the farm leagues.

Quinn quotes him saying, “I’m a totally different pitcher than when I first got in. I’m a more mature pitcher. I’m starting to learn what to do with the batters. The more I throw, the more I see stuff.”

Webster’s willingness to improve his craft is an ideal quality in a prospect with his capabilities. He has all the tools to succeed in Boston.

Why He is Risky

When Webster made the jump to Double-A ball, he struggled significantly. As David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press notes, he started the 2012 season with a 1-5 record and a 7.49 ERA. Paschall also notes that he hit a stretch where he gave up 22 runs in three starts.

It is possible that Webster could run into the same problems when he makes the leap from the minor leagues to the majors.

He will face a significant amount of pressure now that he has been thrust into the national spotlight as part of the biggest trade of the season. There is no guarantee for how a young, raw pitcher will deal with these expectations.

A rocky start to his career could destroy his confidence or cause the Red Sox coaches to lose faith in him. The first couple seasons of his career will be crucial to his long-term success with the club, and he will face enormous expectations in every outing.

Prediction

Webster will develop into a solid starter in the Red Sox’s rotation. He may never make an All-Star game, although he certainly has the potential to reach that level.

If he does turn into a productive member of the rotation, then Red Sox have already done well to replace Beckett, who was inconsistent and unreliable.

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The Chicago Cubs have locked up Starlin Castro with a long-term deal and the young shortstop will be calling Wrigley Field home for many years to come. 

NBC Sports’ D.J. Short reported that the contract is worth $60 million dollars over seven years and will keep the 22-year-old in a Cubs’ uniform until he is 29 years old.

President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein—in his first season with the Cubs—sold off veterans such as Ryan Dempster and Geovany Soto at the trade deadline. It was another season in the seller’s role, as the team has struggled all season and is currently sitting 25 games outside of first place in the NL Central.

Epstein did his duties, cutting pay roll and adding prospects. Now, he has focused his attention on securing the most promising young talents on his roster.

Castro is batting .278 with a .423 slugging percentage this season. The 22-year-old batted .300 and .307 in his first and second seasons in the majors, respectively.

He is a productive hitter who flashes the ability to crack the occasional long ball, as he has 22 home runs in the past two seasons. His inexperience does show at the plate and on the field, but he has certainly been a bright spot on a disappointing team and he has room to grow.

Going forward, he will be one the team’s most important young players and Epstein has done well to send a message to Castro, the fans and the other teams in the MLB that he is serious about securing the Cubs’ future.

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The New York Yankees have reportedly added Derek Lowe to their pitching rotation as the MLB postseason continues to draw nearer.

Major League Baseball reported via Twitter that the Cleveland Indians released Lowe yesterday.

OFFICIAL: @indians release RHP Derek Lowe.

— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2012

Today, the Star-Ledger’s Marc Carig reports the Yankees have decided to give the 39-year-old a new opportunity, and that Lowe will be featured in the bullpen.

“Source: Yankees have acquired Derek Lowe.”

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) August 11, 2012

“Indeed, Lowe is a bullpen guy for the Yankees.. Phelps starts monday.”

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) August 11, 2012

Lowe is a two-time All-Star who had a 5.52 ERA through 21 outings this season, but a poor 41-to-45 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The Yankees—unlike the Indians, who are 10 games back in the AL Central—are very much alive in the postseason race. They currently lead the Baltimore Orioles by six games atop the AL East.

The team’s 3.78 team ERA ranks 10^th in baseball and the pitching staff’s .268 batting average allowed ranks 19^th in the majors. Lowe provides the Yankees with an experienced an inexpensive option to help improve those numbers.

Lowe is already cemented in Yankees history for reasons that the team’s fans have tried to forget. The righty was pitching and recorded the win for the Boston Red Sox in their historic Game 7 win of the AL Championship Series in 2004.

Lowe is no longer the same player he was then, but he has been through deep playoff runs and has a World Series ring.

The Yankees, as always, expect nothing less than a championship this season. Signing a player with Lowe’s experience for cheap will not make a huge impact, but it is still a smart move going forward. 

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The MLB teams that will be fighting for a playoff spot needed to part ways with prospects and add solid veterans, and a few clubs made all the right moves.

These teams will all pass with flying colors as trade grades are handed out, but even among the ball clubs who did well for themselves, there are still some that stood out.

The clubs that added productive players to their rosters will see the benefits in September and October, but for now, they will be praised with top marks.

Here are the teams that pulled off the most impressive deals.

Los Angeles Dodgers 

Players added: Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino, Brandon League

Grade A+ 

The Dodgers needed to add bats, and they were able to put two big-time hitters in their lineup before the trade deadline.

The team traded with Miami Marlins to get Ramirez on July 26, then pulled off a deadline-day deal with the Philadelphia Phillies for Victorino, who is batting .261 this season. They were also able to add pitching depth by acquiring League from the Seattle Mariners.

Los Angeles will be locked in an air-tight playoff race with their archrival, the San Francisco Giants, and the team did everything possible to give itself the edge for the remainder of the season. 

Ned Colletti and the front office made bold moves, and they get the top grade for their trades.

San Francisco Giants

Player(s) added: Hunter Pence, Marco Scutaro 

Grade: A

The Giants had their hand forced by the Dodgers. Every game counts now as the two teams battle for NL West supremacy, and the team needed to add players to its lineup in order to keep pace.

The team made its first move by acquiring Scutaro from the Colorado Rockies. He will add depth and provide stability to the infield. 

Then the Giants added the big bat they desperately needed in order to match the Dodgers’ moves. The team sent three prospects to the Philadelphia Phillies for Pence, who has 17 home runs this year.

San Francisco needed to make a move before the deadline, and they did exactly that, earning them an impressive grade for their trades.

Texas Rangers

Player(s) added: Ryan Dempster, Geovany Soto 

Grade: A-

The Rangers needed to add a starting pitcher, and they picked up one of the best available by trading for Dempster, who has a ridiculous 2.25 ERA in 16 starts. 

The team now has a rotation that can dominate a playoff series to go along with their terrifying power at the plate. 

While Nolan Ryan and the Rangers’ brass had the Chicago Cubs on the phone, they also acquired catcher Geovany Soto. The 29-year-old is having an off year, but he has still been a talented and productive player throughout his career, and a change of scenery could elevate his play.

Texas certainly has a roster that can get them back to the World Series for the third consecutive season, and they may have picked up just enough talent to finally get a championship.

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The Chicago White Sox have pulled off a trade to get right-handed pitcher Brett Myers from the Houston Astros.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported the deal via Twitter.

Source: #WhiteSox acquire Brett Myers from #Astros.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 21, 2012

Major League Baseball detailed what the Astros received in return.

BREAKING: @WhiteSox acquire RHP Brett Myers from @Astros for RHP Matt Heidenreich, LHP Blair Walters and a player to be named.

— MLB (@MLB) July 21, 2012

The White Sox currently hold a half-game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central and their relievers have an ERA of 4.01 this season, which ranks third from the bottom in the American League. Myers will bolster the team’s bullpen.

As Chris Cwik of CBS Sports notes, Myers’ contract earns him $11 million this season and includes a $10 million team option for next year, as well as a $3 million buyout clause.

Myers started his major league career in 2002 as a starting pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent time as a closer with the Phillies, but returned to a starting role when he signed with the Astros in 2010.

He started 33 games in both 2010 and 2011 for Houston, but the team designated him as the closer for this season.

Myers started off on fire and was nearly untouchable in his first 17 save opportunities. As noted by Chip Bailey of the Houston Chronicle, he had a 1.99 ERA and recorded 16 saves.

He has been unable to keep that pace and currently has 19 saves and a 3.52 ERA. He has 20 strikeouts and six walks in 30.2 innings pitched.

Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is on July 31, and the White Sox addressed a team weakness in order to make a push for the postseason.

Houston is in last place in the NL Central and was looking to sell off tradable assets, making the trade a mutually beneficial transaction.

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Born October 16, 1992 and currently 19 years old, Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper will become the youngest position player ever to make an MLB All-Star Game (barring unforeseen circumstances) after he was selected to replace Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. 

Amanda Comak, Nationals beat reporter for the Washington Times, reports via Twitter:

Bryce Harper will replace Mike Stanton on the NL All-Star team.

— Amanda Comak (@acomak) July 7, 2012

Stanton has missed time this season with a right knee injury, which forced him to leave the Marlins’ July 7 matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals when the knee continued to bother him. CBS Sports reported via Twitter that he will miss over a month. 

Giancarlo Stanton to undergo knee surgery, miss 4-6 weeks cbsprt.co/N5eHw0 via @cbssports

— Eye on Baseball (@EyeOnBaseball) July 7, 2012

Bryce Harper is batting .283 this season with eight home runs and a .479 slugging percentage, helping the struggling Washington franchise turn its fortunes around. The Nationals currently sit in first in the NL East standings.

The outfielder is considered to be the most promising fielding prospect in decades and has lived up to the hype thus far. As noted by Matt Breen of the Washington Post, Harper was called up to the majors on April 27 and has not missed a single game since.

Harper was in contention for the final spot on the NL roster, but St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese came out on top in the Final Vote.

Harper has done nothing but silence his critics since becoming the No. 1 overall selection in the 2010 draft by the Washington Nationals. The 6’3”, 225-pound teenager is on track to meet the near-impossible expectations placed on him as the All-Star selection shows.

He has not shied away from pressure thus far and will now get a chance to perform on one of baseball’s biggest stages.

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Baseball’s biggest stars will battle each other at the 2012 MLB All-Star Game to see who can shine brightest and take home the MVP award.

The award almost always goes to a field player, as pitchers are never on the mound long enough to put on a memorable performance. The last hurler to win MVP at an All-Star game was Pedro Martinez in 1999. 

It is also incredibly difficult to win the award multiple times. Willie Mays, Steve Garvey, Gary Carter and Cal Ripken Jr. are the only four players who have accomplished it.

In all likelihood, the MVP will be a field player and a first-time winner. Here are the three players with the best shot to put their names down in baseball history.

Joey Votto, 4-1 chance

The Cincinnati Reds first baseman has been on a hitting tear this season.

Votto is batting .349 with a .623 slugging percentage. He is one of the favorites to win the NL MVP at this point in the season.

He already has one league MVP on his résumé (2010), and his form this season has him on track for another incredible year.

A minor knee injury may slow him down, but his hot streak at the plate will almost certainly continue in Kansas City.

Josh Hamilton, 6-1 chance 

Hamilton is the most talented hitter in baseball.

When the Texas Rangers outfielder is in the zone, there is no player more dangerous at the plate. He proved this in May when he mashed four home runs in a game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Hamilton is batting .341 with a .641 slugging percentage and 26 home runs this season. 

He is capable of exploding for a monster game on any night against any pitcher. Hamilton’s unparalleled hitting abilities give him an excellent shot at wining the award.

Derek Jeter, 8-1 chance 

Although Jeter won the award in 2000, he fits the profile of a player who could win two All-Star game MVPs.

Three of the four players to win the award twice are in the Hall of Fame. Jeter is headed to Cooperstown soon after he retires, and he has been hitting extremely well this season (.304 batting average, .412 slugging).

This will be the fourth consecutive All-Star game in which Jeter will be the AL starter at shortstop. He has been selected to the team 13 times in his career. 

If Jeter makes any sort of impact during the game, voters will jump at the opportunity to recognize his performance. 

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High school players take longer to develop than collegiate prospects, but a few prep stars in the 2012 MLB draft have an upside that was just too good to pass up.

The teams that drafted these teenagers will be in for a several year wait until they see their investment pay off. 

Still, the talent they just added to the organization will be very valuable in the future. 

Here are the five best high school players taken in this year’s draft. 

Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS (GA)—Minnesota Twins, Pick No. 2

Byron Buxton was projected to go No. 1 in many mock drafts because of his elite athleticism. He is one of the fastest players to enter the draft in recent years.

He has the most upsides of any player in the draft because of his physical gifts. He may be raw in some areas, but there simply wasn’t another field player with his talent in the draft.

The Twins got lucky that the Houston Astros did not take Buxton first, and Minnesota will be a much better ball club when Buxton is ready to play in the majors.

Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy—Houston Astros, Pick No. 1

The Astros made a surprising move by picking Carlos Correa first, as he was projected to go somewhere else in the top 10.

Still, he is an extremely talented player with a huge upside. A 6’4” and 190 pounds, he is unlikely to stay at shortstop. He’s just 17 years old and could still be growing, so he will be an ideal size for an outfielder. 

He is a monster at the plate and he will be nightmare for pitchers once he learns the intricacies of the game in the minor leagues. Correa may not have quite as many upsides as Buxton, but he will still be a phenomenal player in a few years. 

Albert Almora, OF, Mater Academy Charter (FL)—Chicago Cubs, Pick No. 6

The Cubs may need help now, but Almora is extremely talented. He will be a major contributor soon enough. He is one of the most major league-ready high school players in the draft.

He is an excellent hitting prospect who has a cerebral feel for the game. He has plenty of experience with high-level baseball, and he’s represented Team USA at more international tournaments than any prospect, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Almora may be ready more quickly than other prep prospects, but he still will spend a few seasons in the minors. When he’s ready for baseball’s biggest stage, the Cubs will be happy they took him with their top pick. 

Max Fried, LHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA)—Pick No. 7, San Diego Padres

Max Fried is another prep prospect who is surprisingly polished for his age. The lefty has a great fastball and throws two other pitchers very well.

At 6’4”, he is an ideal size, and he gets his fastball up around the mid-90s. His changeup and curveball are downright nasty, and he will drive minor league hitter nuts.

His control is pretty far along already and after a few years in the Padres’ farm system, he will be able to terrorize major league hitters as well. Fried is a top-class prospect that will be making a lot of noise very soon. 

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA)—Washington Nationals, Pick No. 16

While other prep stars not mentioned were taken before Lucas Giolito, none of them have his upside.

Fried’s teammate missed most of this past season with an elbow injury, but he was clocked at 100 mph before he went down. He is also a massive prospect at 6’6” and 230 pounds.

Giolito is not as good of an all-around pitcher as Fried, but he still has great potential because of his incredible power. If he can learn even a little bit of craftiness in the minors, he will blow major league hitters away in a few years.

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Several teams beefed up their pitching staff in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.

Some teams reached for a prospect, some teams got lucky to pick one that fell and a few teams got the perfect player at the perfect time. 

Here are the four best grades from teams that added big arms in the draft. 

Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford—Pittsburgh Pirates, Pick No. 8

Grade: A+

The biggest surprise of the draft was Mark Appel falling all the way to No. 8. Many mock drafters projected the Stanford righty to go No. 1 overall, but three different teams chose other pitchers over him.

The Pirates got great value with this choice and if they can strike a reasonable deal with Scott Boras, Appel’s agent, they will have added an incredible talent.

His junior season at Stanford should have sealed the deal to make him at least a top three pick. He went 10-1 with a 2.27 ERA and struck out 127 batters in 119 innings.

Appel is far too talented to have fallen as far as he did, and the Pirates get the top grade for making sure he did not slide any more. 

Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU—Baltimore Orioles, Pick No. 4

Grade: A

Kevin Hausman is a polished product that has learned very quickly during his two years at LSU.

He has plenty of zip on his fastball and approaches triple-digits at times. His talent and his performance as a sophomore (11-1, 2.72 ERA in 2012 thus far) make him deserving of a top five pick. 

This was a marked improvement over his freshman year, when he went 5-6 with a 3.51 ERA. Gausman was always incredibly talented, but his ability to improve continuously make him even more valuable.

The Orioles took him exactly when he should have gone, even with Appel on the board. Gausman is a similar talent and now Baltimore does not have to deal with Boras. 

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA)—Washington Nationals, Pick No. 16

Grade: A-

This pick is a little risky, but it could pay off huge. Lucas Giolito is a 6’6”, 230-pound 17-year-old who has been clocked at 100 miles per hour.

No pitcher in the draft has a bigger upside. However, he missed most of this past season with an elbow injury and is reportedly considering accepting a scholarship to play at UCLA, according to the Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

Giolito could turn into an All-Star, but definitely has some questions surrounding him. Still, grabbing him in the middle of the first round was an excellent decision by the Nationals. 

Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke—Toronto Blue Jays, Pick No. 22

Grade: A-

If Stroman was five inches taller, he would be a top 10 pick or higher. But he’s just 5’9”, despite having an excellent array of pitches.

He also has great power despite his size, as his fastball regularly checks in around the mid-90s. He had a 2.39 ERA this year with 136 strikeouts in 98 innings.

The Blue Jays were right not to worry about Stroman’s size and added an excellent pitcher to their club. He is simply too talented and productive not to be a first-round pick. 

Even if he doesn’t end up as a starter because of his lack of height and bulk, he will still be very useful in relief.

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