Report: Red Sox trying to trade Josh Beckett, but find no takers

The Boston Red Sox have explored trading Josh Beckett but may not find a taker before Tuesday's deadline. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The Boston Red Sox are trying to trade starting pitcher Josh Beckett but cannot find a trade partner, ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes reported Sunday. From Edes' report:

One major league executive insisted Sunday night that the Red Sox are looking for a buyer for Beckett, who is scheduled to face Detroit ace Justin Verlander on Tuesday night in Fenway Park.

"They're trying to dump him,'' the executive said, "but I don't think anyone would touch him without a big discount.''

Beckett is a 10-and-5 player — 10 years in the major leagues, at least five with the same team — so he could veto any trade. But he told Boston radio station WEEI on Friday that he would consider accepting a trade if the Red Sox didn't want him in Boston.

“Absolutely,” Beckett, 32, said of his desire to stay in Boston. “But if people don’t want you, you don’t want to be there. Obviously I have some things where it would be very difficult for them to trade me if I didn’t want to be traded. But you have to think realistically. If you’re not wanted somewhere, why stay there? Know what I mean? It kind of makes it a little more difficult."