MLB: Adrian Gonzalez on the Move?
After Matt Holliday the next biggest star drawing the most speculation in regards to what team he will be suiting up for next spring is San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez’ likeness was left out of initial mailings to season ticket holders leading to speculation that a trade will come sooner rather than later.
Gonzalez is coming off a season in which he swatted a career high 40 home runs and posted a career best .958 OPS and with him going into an arbitration eligible year it is believed he will see a significant bump in pay from the just over $3 million he made this past season in San Diego.
It has been widely rumored that the Boston Red Sox covet Gonzalez and are willing to San Diego their choice of prospects in order to land him. If they manage to obtain Gonzalez they would then move Kevin Youkilis to third base, the position he played prior to the Sox trading for current third baseman Mike Lowell. Any attempts to land Gonzalez likely revolve around the Theo Epstein’s ability to find someone to take Lowell off his hands.
There is some speculation that, with an opening at first, and with Matt Holliday commanding more than they are willing to spend, that the Mets might make a run for Gonzalez, whom they would not have to pay for two years. The only stumbling block would be whether or not the Mets have enough of the right prospects for the Padres to even entertain the notion.
The latest rumor from Chicago Now claims the White Sox have been in talks with the Angels and Padres about a three-way deal with Gonzalez and Chicago’s Paul Konerko being the key players changing uniforms. In the proposed deal the Sox would end up with Gonzalez, the Angels would get Konerko, presumably to DH, and the Padres would get an assortment of prospects from the Angels and Padres. There is no word on which prospects are being offered up in the deal.
Of course there is also a sentiment that Gonzalez will not be dealt until after next season when he will have one more left until free agency as opposed to the two he has now. Being that Gonzalez is of Mexican descent he is a big marketing chip for a team based in Southern California with a substantial Mexican population.
Things could get interesting surrounding Gonzalez in the coming weeks, especially if Boston fails to re-sign Jason Bay or land Matt Holliday. With David Ortiz in decline and Youkilis and Victor Martinez not being true power hitters the Sox need to make sure they have a true power bat in the order behind them in the lineup next year.
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