Aug. 25 served as not only the final meet at Fenway Park between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays this season but the 10-year anniversary of arguably the organization’s biggest blockbuster deal.
During an installment of Audacy Sports' "The Bradfo Sho," former Red Sox infielder Nick Punto spoke with WEEI's Rob Bradford -- providing insight on the 2012 blockbuster trade that saw him, alongside teammates Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez infamously traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Adrian was the first person to tell me so you would imagine that Adrian's agent knew something," Punto told Bradford. "There was nothing concrete at all. I think it was more like, for him, probably wishful thinking because he knew the Dodgers were playing well and he's from out there. Who knows what it was because we never really dove into it together. It happened pretty fast, though."
Punto added: "Nobody can compete with Boston. As far as just the intensity of that (fanbase), and the amount of pressure they put on you on a daily basis, is really what I miss. Don't let your guard down, in that city, ever or you're gonna feel it from everybody. ... The east coast fan is just way more intense."
Amid a season of no contention, the Red Sox elected to trade the four veterans prior to a soon-to-be successful rebuild in 2013.
Punto, who primarily served as a platoon infielder during his time in Boston, played 65 games for the Red Sox in 2012 -- batting .200/.301/.272 (25-for-125) with one home run, six doubles, and 14 RBIs.
One year later, the Red Sox would go on to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in six games, seizing the franchise’s eighth World Series title.
