The biggest star in baseball for San Diego since Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is heading east, after much speculation, to the Boston Red Sox.
According to ESPN.com. Gonzalez is going to the Red Sox for three minor league players. This trade will bolster the Red Sox lineup, and, if they sign either right fielder Jason Werth of the Philadelphia Phillies or right fielder Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Rays, we could see a possible lineup that could rival their rival, the Yankees.
The downside to this deal would be that Kevin Youkilis, a stand-out first baseman for the Sox, would move to third base - a position he has only played 24% of the time (338 times at 3B / 1390 times as a position player) during his three-year career for the Red Sox.
The pros for the Padres would be that they would be getting three young prospects - a year after having an aging lineup with shortstop Miguel Tejada (36 yrs old); pitcher Jon Garland (31); catcher Yorvit Torrealba (32); second baseman Scott Hairston (30); and pitcher Chris Young (31) - all of which who will NOT be with the team in 2011.
The cons for the Padres would be that they lost veteran prospects, and will also be losing a MAJORITY of their fans. The Padres were in first place in the National League West division for most of the season last year - mainly because of strong hitting by Gonzo and excellent pitching. Now that is gone, so they are now in a rebuilding mode. On top of that, San Diego is located near Mexico, and Gonzo attracted the latino fanbase for the Padres.
I would say that the Red Sox got the better end of the deal, but it's WAY TOO EARLY to make a correct decision - not until the All-Star break will we be able to make a definite conclusion.
No comments:
Post a Comment