Adrian Gonzalez to Red Sox

[bucknersrevenge]

I would tend to prefer Werth at this point also.   That's with the hope that Ellsbury bounces back this upcoming season. 

Crawford is the better talent but I think Werth would be the better fit for this team. 

I don't like Werth much and I definitely wouldn't pay anything close for Werth that I would for Crawford. Sure he's a righty but those RISP numbers scare me and I'm all for NOT overpaying a guy that's gonna end up hitting 6th in our lineup.

I'd rather see what's available in the next tier of OF free agent options. I'd sooner let Cameron/Kalish/McDonald platoon in LF than over pay for Werth.

[beantownboy171]

Guess that's the splash we've been waiting for!

http://www.nesn.com/2010/12/report-red-sox-acquire-adrian-gonzalez.html

I can absolutely live with parting with Kalish, Kelley, and Rizzo if that's the deal.

Kalish isn't even in the deal. The deal in place is Kelley, Rizzo, Raymond Fuentes, and a player to be named later.

[Donoghus]

I would tend to prefer Werth at this point also.   That's with the hope that Ellsbury bounces back this upcoming season. 

Crawford is the better talent but I think Werth would be the better fit for this team. 

I don't like Werth much and I definitely wouldn't pay anything close for Werth that I would for Crawford. Sure he's a righty but those RISP numbers scare me and I'm all for NOT overpaying a guy that's gonna end up hitting 6th in our lineup.

I'd rather see what's available in the next tier of OF free agent options. I'd sooner let Cameron/Kalish/McDonald platoon in LF than over pay for Werth.

I certainly wouldn't toss him Crawford type money, either.  

However, I do think that he'd be a great fit and would be a much better option that a "poo-poo" platter platoon in left.  

If they can get him for a 3-4 year deal, I'm all for it.  I'm not too concerned about the money factor.  Sox have the money.  

This offense needs to be cranked up a bit.  Gonzalez is a great start.  Werth would just solidify things.  

[Vermont Green]

Yep.  Great deal.  And anyone who is worried about prospects needs to realize that signing free agents and trading for players both result in the loss of potential (picks or prospects). 

So it's a good thing that Theo went out and got the guy he really wanted rather than settling for someone else and losing picks. 

Yes and no on the losing picks for a FA.  They don't lose any picks for signing Beltre.

[Vermont Green]

I would say that the contract extension is far from a given.  If Gonzalez asks for too much, they will simply pay Beltre and keep the prospects for a trade for Upton.  I don't think the Sox have any intention of trading prospects and over paying.  They can simply overpay Beltre and keep the prospects which now have an established market value that is high enough to get Upton.

None of this is true at all. Extension is a given. Its just about the dollar number.

The talk is that Gonzalez wants Texiera money.  The Sox wouldn't even give Tex that money, why would they give it to Gonzalez if that is what he looks for.  It is no skin off of him to play one more year in SD and then be a FA.

I hope they do come to a fair deal but the Sox have leverage in that if it gets too rich, then can sign Beltre and trade the same prospects for Upton.  If they overpay for Gonzalez, they will probably be forced to turn around and over pay for Werth or Crawford.

I think they are more likely to over pay for Beltre and trade for Upton then to over pay for both AG and another OF FA.

[kozlodoev]

Crawford is the better talent but I think Werth would be the better fit for this team.  

Don't we already have JD for to fill the "overpaid, ineffective slugger" slot?

[beantownboy171]

In other news. With all the compensation picks we getting. We have the potential of anywhere from 6-8 draft choices in the first-supplemental-second rounds.

6 if we sign Werth And Crawford
7 if we sign Werth
8 if we sign no one.

AND we receive the highest possible compensation pick (19th overall) from the victor martinez signing. Any pick below that is protected.

So the farm system will refill quickly

[bucknersrevenge]

I would tend to prefer Werth at this point also.   That's with the hope that Ellsbury bounces back this upcoming season. 

Crawford is the better talent but I think Werth would be the better fit for this team. 

I don't like Werth much and I definitely wouldn't pay anything close for Werth that I would for Crawford. Sure he's a righty but those RISP numbers scare me and I'm all for NOT overpaying a guy that's gonna end up hitting 6th in our lineup.

I'd rather see what's available in the next tier of OF free agent options. I'd sooner let Cameron/Kalish/McDonald platoon in LF than over pay for Werth.

I certainly wouldn't toss him Crawford type money, either.  

However, I do think that he'd be a great fit and would be a much better option that a "poo-poo" platter platoon in left.  

If they can get him for a 3-4 year deal, I'm all for it.  I'm not too concerned about the money factor.  Sox have the money.  

This offense needs to be cranked up a bit.  Gonzalez is a great start.  Werth would just solidify things.  

Werth will definitely want more than 3 years and likely 4 too. Obviously a platoon is not ideal per se. And the saving money argument isn't really a factor either I agree. I just don't like Werth. That is my real issue. I think we'll have to overpay to get him and I don't think he will be "Werth" it at all. He's a decent hitter that's gonna end up batting 6th here and I'd prefer to see if there are better options. In taking a look at the FA list the level drops off a bit after Werth. This is the real driver in his price, not his actual ability IMHO and I'm not buying on his game. Not for what it's gonna cost anyway.

[bucknersrevenge]

Crawford is the better talent but I think Werth would be the better fit for this team.  

Don't we already have JD for to fill the "overpaid, ineffective slugger" slot?

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!

[NEsportsfan]

I would say that the contract extension is far from a given.  If Gonzalez asks for too much, they will simply pay Beltre and keep the prospects for a trade for Upton.  I don't think the Sox have any intention of trading prospects and over paying.  They can simply overpay Beltre and keep the prospects which now have an established market value that is high enough to get Upton.

None of this is true at all. Extension is a given. Its just about the dollar number.

The talk is that Gonzalez wants Texiera money.  The Sox wouldn't even give Tex that money, why would they give it to Gonzalez if that is what he looks for.  It is no skin off of him to play one more year in SD and then be a FA.

I hope they do come to a fair deal but the Sox have leverage in that if it gets too rich, then can sign Beltre and trade the same prospects for Upton.  If they overpay for Gonzalez, they will probably be forced to turn around and over pay for Werth or Crawford.

I think they are more likely to over pay for Beltre and trade for Upton then to over pay for both AG and another OF FA.

Actually by all accounts the Red Sox offered equal money or pretty close to what the Yankees offered Texieria. He just chose New York over Boston. Also, Jon Morosi of fox sports is reporting that Gonzalez is looking for Ryan Howard money (5/125M).

[Vermont Green]

Actually by all accounts the Red Sox offered equal money or pretty close to what the Yankees offered Texieria. He just chose New York over Boston. Also, Jon Morosi of fox sports is reporting that Gonzalez is looking for Ryan Howard money (5/125M).

Well I am just a lowly fan here but 5/$125M plus those 3 prospects and maybe a player to be named later is too much.  Especially when you consider that they probably will need to over pay for Werth or Crawford also.  I would rather keep Beltre and trade those prospects for Upton.

Even if we over pay and get AG and Crawford for example (which would not be all that much more production than Beltre and Victor M gave us last year), we still don't sniff the WS unless Beckett and Lackey pitch way better.

[Donoghus]

Crawford is the better talent but I think Werth would be the better fit for this team.  

Don't we already have JD for to fill the "overpaid, ineffective slugger" slot?

Why?  Do you know something about Jayson Werth that the rest of us don't?

I'd love to hear this "insider scoop".

[xmuscularghandix]

My main hope behind this trade is that Gonzalez was 13th in all of MLB in OPS last year.

But look at his home/away:
Overall AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB HBP SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
Total 591 87 176 33 0 31 101 93 2 114 0  0 .298 .393 .511 .904
Home  283 41  79 12 0 11  42 49 0  59 0  0 .279 .383 .438 .821
Away  308 46  97 21 0 20  59 44 2  55 0  0 .315 .402 .578 .980


Just shows that he's played half his games in a terrible hitters park; playing 81 in fenway plus 81 on the road, his numbers will be even better than they have been.


Of course, I'm very scared of shoulder injuries in power hitters, and we're trusting the crack medical staff behind the elsbury saga last year to ok his physical? ouch.

This is Gonzales’ hits from PETCO park over Fenway Park. DARK blue dots were home runs, and the Orange dots are fly outs, This dude is made for Fenway.

[Donoghus]

I would tend to prefer Werth at this point also.   That's with the hope that Ellsbury bounces back this upcoming season. 

Crawford is the better talent but I think Werth would be the better fit for this team. 

I don't like Werth much and I definitely wouldn't pay anything close for Werth that I would for Crawford. Sure he's a righty but those RISP numbers scare me and I'm all for NOT overpaying a guy that's gonna end up hitting 6th in our lineup.

I'd rather see what's available in the next tier of OF free agent options. I'd sooner let Cameron/Kalish/McDonald platoon in LF than over pay for Werth.

I certainly wouldn't toss him Crawford type money, either.  

However, I do think that he'd be a great fit and would be a much better option that a "poo-poo" platter platoon in left.  

If they can get him for a 3-4 year deal, I'm all for it.  I'm not too concerned about the money factor.  Sox have the money.  

This offense needs to be cranked up a bit.  Gonzalez is a great start.  Werth would just solidify things.  

Werth will definitely want more than 3 years and likely 4 too. Obviously a platoon is not ideal per se. And the saving money argument isn't really a factor either I agree. I just don't like Werth. That is my real issue. I think we'll have to overpay to get him and I don't think he will be "Werth" it at all. He's a decent hitter that's gonna end up batting 6th here and I'd prefer to see if there are better options. In taking a look at the FA list the level drops off a bit after Werth. This is the real driver in his price, not his actual ability IMHO and I'm not buying on his game. Not for what it's gonna cost anyway.

Like I menotioned before, years not price is what would scare me off with Werth.

Plugging him in at the 6 spot I believe is an ideal situation both for him and the Sox.  He's not going to be expected to be the man and he'll have some protection around him.  I would expect his numbers to remain about the same. 

In this offseason, I'm not sure what the better options out there would be at least in the free agent pool.  I don't think the Sox will break the bank for Crawford.

[NEsportsfan]

Actually by all accounts the Red Sox offered equal money or pretty close to what the Yankees offered Texieria. He just chose New York over Boston. Also, Jon Morosi of fox sports is reporting that Gonzalez is looking for Ryan Howard money (5/125M).

Well I am just a lowly fan here but 5/$125M plus those 3 prospects and maybe a player to be named later is too much.  Especially when you consider that they probably will need to over pay for Werth or Crawford also.  I would rather keep Beltre and trade those prospects for Upton.

Even if we over pay and get AG and Crawford for example, we still don't sniff the WS unless Beckett and Lackey pitch way better.

Upton is still raw and hasn't reached his potential yet. I would make the trade for Gonzalez over where Upton is right now. Gonzalez produced 31/101/.298/l.393 for a team where he had zero protection. It doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to trade 3 of your top prospects for a guy that hasn't reached full potential like Upton. Also, you have to be cautious about Beltre. If you look at his history he produces in a contract year, but if you're signing him to a long term contract (which he wont sign at anything less than that) you can expect something around 18-20 homers and and 80-90 RBI's. That's not going to be good enough in the AL.