Josh Beckett's 5-and-9 might have more to do with this than his 10-and-5, but increasing buzz about the Boston Red Sox possibly trading the pitcher is another piece of one of baseball's more fascinating ongoing sagas.  What would it take? To entice the Red Sox, maybe not so much beyond a legitimate return that includes major league talent.  To get Beckett to give the OK -- after all, his 10-plus years in the majors including the minimum five in Boston give him the right to veto a deal -- it will have to an inviting landing site. His home state of Texas, anyone? Of course, there's just one contender there and the Rangers have been on the prowl for pitching.  Beckett -- a former World Series and ALCS MVP, and thus tempting for championship hopefuls -- hinted last week that he could be convinced to leave, maybe as soon as tomorrow's non-waiver trading deadline. How interesting would he find combining with the only player taken ahead of him in the 1999 draft, Josh Hamilton.  "If people don't want you, you don't want to be there," he told WEEI radio, though he didn't indicate anyone has told him he's not wanted.  And the Red Sox hardly are going public with any such message but consider the undercurrent that suggests a desire -- maybe even a need -- to dispose of Beckett.  Other than deciding whether to be buyer or seller, the most significant and intriguing decision for many general managers at the trade deadline is how to remain relevant as a contender while ...  Usually that sentence ends with "... getting younger."  In Boston, it could be more about "... getting more harmonious."  Beckett, of course, came across as one of the villains in last year's September swoon, especially after the damning Boston Globe dissection of that collapse that had Beckett and other Red Sox pitchers drinking beer, eating fried chicken and playing video games in the clubhouse on days they weren't pitching.  But there's also that 5-9 (his win-loss record) and the 4.57 ERA and career lows in strikeout rate, pitches in the strike zone and fastball velocity. He's dealt with shoulder and thumb problems this year, was slowed by an ankle injury last year, has had back issues in the past.  The obvious concern is that he's wearing down, even at 32. And that he's owed $15.75 million each of the next two seasons.  From the Boston perspective, though, has he already worn out ... as in his welcome?  New manager Bobby Valentine fired a broadside Beckett's way even before their first season together began, wondering aloud about Beckett's pace on the mound, prompting a New Year's Day meeting between the two strong personalities.  Sound familiar? As in Valentine tossing out some comments earlier this season about Kevin Youkilis' possibly waning skills? That's Youkilis, since traded to the White Sox.  Whose clubhouse is this, anyway?  Whether it needs to be Valentine's clubhouse or management just wants it to be rid of perceived personality/attitude issues might not matter. Just as the pertinent question isn't so much how the Red Sox can go about manufacturing a clubhouse culture shift.  What counts is that, if that's indeed what they'd love to accomplish, then the time could be ripe for a Beckett swap.  With Zack Greinke and others off the market and the price high for the likes of Josh Johnson, there's a better chance of a potential buyer blinking and taking the chance Beckett could be a difference-maker. Sure, possible suitors like the Braves, Dodgers and (insert recording of The Eyes of Texas) Rangers would prefer Boston's younger but equally struggling Jon Lester, but that would be a white flag the Red Sox aren't likely to wave.  The Red Sox have plenty of talented dilemmas facing them, from Carl Crawford's bust-so-far two seasons in Boston to the potential difficulty of signing Jacoby Ellsbury to a long-term deal beyond next season. But none have the urgency of moving Beckett if the Red Sox hope to get maximum value in return.  While wondering if Beckett is worth it at $15.75 million in '13 and '14, teams can weight several factors:  The odds remain stacked against a Beckett trade, but in Boston it could be the thought that counts.
Josh Beckett's performance could be a deterrent but the Boston Red Sox have good reason to at least consider trading their once-star pitcher.