Red Sox Now "Close" To Acquiring Adrian Gonzalez

Can’t remember one of these for a while.

Alright Theo, do this. I may not like having a $20M DH after next year but something tells me that with Adrian Gonzalez hitting bomb after bomb out of the park I will quietly sit down and stfu.

Gonzalez said that there is a chance he isn’t cleared to swing a bat until March. The doctors said the surgery went very well, but haven’t given a specific timetable that I have seen.

He might start swinging a bat in March? OMG, what if he does not?

I agree with Ben (from other thread) that without the extension it would be insanity.

As much as I thik A-Gon is a great addition here are my concerns:

Hmmm ,1 year of A-Gon or 5 of Upton…gee that is tough esp. since there is a quality 3B on the FA market, an Allstar 1B already on the team and a huge need for an OF since Cameron and Drew will not be in a Sox uniform next season…but, with that said the bat will be a huge addition and if Werth or Crawford is signed it is a devestating lineup so GO SOX!!!

For the number of years that we’d extend Gonzalez, we can find another Kelly. If all it takes is Kelly, Rizzo, and slick-fielding but light-hitting Iglesias, pull the trigger now! That’s a video game trade. Hell, throw in Reddick for good measure.

Personally, I think one MLB roster player will be included. It could be any one of Ellsbury, Bard, Scutaro, Lowrie, or Cameron (+ cash). I really don’t think Bard will move, though, unless Theo & Co. sign a guy like Raphael Soriano.

Time to work. Any chance someone whipped up a “AGONZ ALERT” Blackberry App in the last few minutes? No one? Crap. Let’s Go Twitter!

Too much?

Same san diego reporter

I mean even if Boston isn’t the only team, there are a ton of reports focusing on Boston.

So if Rizzo goes along with Kelly, I’m cool with that. Certainly didn’t clear the farm out for sure.

Then there’s still the talk of getting an OF in either Werth or Crawford.

Couple the possibility of Gonzo, Werth OR Crawford, and hopefully a healthier rotation next season, and that’s insane.

Congrats on getting Adrian Gonzalez.. He’ll do a great job for what you’re trying to accomplish in Beantown.

No Ellsbury, Lowrie or Bard in return.

and

Casey Kelly would definitely be involved.

Assuming there’s a signing window, what’s the prediction?

Kelly, Rizzo, Kalish, Doubront?

so don’t get me wrong… but I really think we should still be asking the question of whether it makes more sense to save our bullets (READ: prospects) and just sign Crawford or Werth. Giving up our top minor league talent AND having to give out a huge contract? I’m just not sure this is the wisest course.

…but yeah, guy will be a monster in Boston if he comes…

Obviously we can’t just transpose that… Still, guy looks perfectly suited to Fenway.

and won’t be ready until sometime in March. He says he “stopped trying to hit HRs” because of the shoulder pain. Also, he didn’t attend chargers games because when he’s on his feet too long his shoulder started to ache. Awesome. Just f***ing awesome.

Well… the upside is the price might be more deflated than we’ve imagined.

Link: http://www.gaslampball.com/2010/11/9/1804088/adrian-gonzalez-says-he-wont-take-a-san-diego-discount-in-order-to

& http://www.xxsportsradio.com/common/global_audio/40/23781.mp3

but lets not get to far ahead. His lefty splits still worry me, especially in a division where every single Ace is a LHP: CC and most likely Lee, Matusz, Price and Romero. That definitly means no Crawford, who cant hit lefties at all. If we indeed end up with Gonzalez we better get Werth, who kills lefties. Career wOBA vs LHP: Gonzalez: .339, Crawford .307, Werth .401!

Especially in a potential ALCS against the MFY where you see Lee+CC atleast 4 times Werth would come in quite handy, but now i’m getting to far ahead.

Olney had this to say in the last few minutes:

Sources: The San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox are on the verge of finishing an Adrian Gonzalez deal. Players all agreed to.

and

The Red Sox are far enough along in the conversation that they are trying to work out a new contract with Adrian Gonzalez.

Buster Olney

Sources: Padres and Red Sox have agreed to a Gonzalez trade, pending physical — and perhaps negotiations with the first baseman. We’ll see.

Sources: Major League Baseball has approved a negotiating window for the Red Sox to negotiate with Adrian gonzalez.

http://www.friarhood.com/padres-info/2010-off-season/633-red-sox-prospects-rumored-coming-to-san-diego-in-gonzalez-trade.html

As reports fly that Jed Hoyer is closing in on a trade that would send Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox, we want to give you some insight on some of the potential players that will likely be part of the Padres organization if the trade is completed.

Casey Kelly Portland Starting Pitcher
Age: 21
Born: October 4, 1989
Sarasota, FL
Height: 6-3
Weight: 200
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Drafted: 1st round, 2008
ETA: Late 2011
Scouting Report: Athletic frame, advanced beyond his years, he has natural instinctive feel for pitching. Kelly has three plus pitches: a low 90s fastball, he can work it to both sides of the plate, cutting it or sinking his fastball. He has hard 12-6 curveball, and an above average change which he throws with the same arm motion as his fastball. He has demonstrated excellent command and control. Repeats his mechanics with effortless delivery. Fastball has exceptional downward movement, and generally sits between 90 and 93 mph, has touched 95-96 mph. Curveball has the potential to become plus out pitch. It sits around 75-78 mph, but he can rely too heavily on it which can get him into trouble. Kelly’s changeup sits around 83 mph with a lot of tilt. he is a strike thrower and will keep pitching coaches happy, keeping the ball low in the strike zone. Has demonstrated excellent composure. He is projected to be a top of the rotation starter, has legit ace potential.

Anthoney Rizzo 1B
Age: 21
Born: August 8, 1989
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Height: 6-3
Weight: 220
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Drafted: 6th round, 2007
ETA: Late 2011
Scouting report: Scouting Report: A towering strong first baseman with an excellent frame. Solid overall approach at the plate, solid pitch recognition, good bat speed. Needs to be more selective with two strikes. Doubles power but should project 20 homer power. Has a tendency to chase breaking pitches late in the count. A plus defender with a strong arm and surprising mobility for his size. Great baseball fundamentals.

Ryan Kalish Outfield
Age: 22
Born: March 28, 1988
Northridge, CA
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Drafted: 9th round, 2006
ETA: 2011
Scouting Report: Ryan is very athletic with a solid build, good bat speed and lots of quickness. Plays the game hard. Selective hitter, has come to demonstrate an excellent approach at the plate. Average power, has potential to hit 20 Homer’s on the MLB level. Is a contact line drive hitter that sprays the ball to all fields. A base runner that will steal plenty of bases who has plus speed. Has exceptional acceleration and great instincts on the base paths. In the field he judges the ball well off the bat, has an average arm and is capable of playing center field but is probably more suited to play right field. A hard nosed ballplayer that will become a fan favorite for his all out hustle.

Jose Iglesias Shortstop
Age: 20
Born: January 5, 1990
Havana, Cuba
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
ETA: Late 2011
Scouting Report: A great defender. His glovework is accompanied by swift quick hands and excellent reactions. Very strong arm. Range is solid to slightly above average. Great feel for the game and demonstrates fluid mechanics enabling him to excel defensively. Has the makings of a Gold Glove shortstop. Versatile enough to easily play second or third. Exceptional bat speed. Compact swing. Can be a free swinger. Solid mechanics enabling him to swing through the zone very well. Relatively small, he posses some power. Projecting doubles pop. Defense first short stop. Scouts rave about his athletic defensive ability.

I cannot help but thinking about Bagwell in all this!!!

Plus, the Padres know our system

6:30am: Adrian Gonzalez is expected in Boston today for a physical, reports Nick

Cafardo of the Globe. Gonzalez had shoulder surgery to clean up his right labrum in October and has a four or five month recovery timeline. Cafardo says talks have centered around Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo, and the deal “would likely involve three or four players from the Sox, including one who is major league-ready.” ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that all players have been agreed to and the Red Sox are now trying to work out an extension with Gonzalez. MLB has approved a negotiating window.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101203&content_id=16251206&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlbHoyer, from his Boston days, knows the Red Sox farm system, as does Jason McLeod, who is the Padres assistant general manager of scouting and player development. McLeod was previously the Red Sox’s director of amateur scouting.

Since the Padres farm system is devoid of Major League-ready talent, the influx of talent from another club would help the Padres to essentially graduate what Hoyer wants, a handful of players moving up to the Major League level each year.

“We have to have a farm system that’s turning out two to three players from year to year,” Hoyer said in October. “We’re not going to have that for next year. That’s a priority.”

The way the Padres want to accomplish that is through the First-Year Player Draft. But that takes time. Making a deal to land prospects for Gonzalez would hasten the process.

In regards to Gonzalez’s future, it’s essentially been a foregone conclusion since the end of the regular season that Gonzalez would be traded sometime before or during the 2011 season and that he wants to test his worth on the open market as a free agent.

The good news: Lowrie, Bard and Ellsbury are not touched – the bad news is – well, see above

You get to keep Lowrie, Bard and Ellsbury. All the players mentioned have zero (or near zer) major league playing time and represent a huge risk on our part. Your current core remains not only intact, but signifigantly improved. Rizzo is expendable now that you’ll have Adrian. Iglesias is an all field no hit player until he proves otherwise. Kelly is nice arm. Kalish is a very replaceable player for a team with your payroll.