| 05 December 2010
On Friday afternoon when most everyone was getting out of work, we learned that the Boston Red Sox were once again talking with the San Diego Padres about a trade for Adrian Gonzalez. On Saturday when we arose from our beds, we learned that a deal with the Padres for Gonzalez was done and in that deal the Red Sox would send three prospects (Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo and Reymond Fuentes).
The only holdup would be a contract extension and both parties were given until 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon to work out a deal that would put Gonzalez in a Red Sox uniform for the foreseeable future and send those three prosects to the Padres. Then around 2 p.m., a tweet from SI.com's Jon Heyman would put Red Sox Nation into an uproar.
#redsox just could not reach deal w a-gon. #padres
When you saw the reaction of Red Sox Nation on Twitter, you would have thought many of them were getting ready to lineup to jump off the Tobin Bridge. There were some people thinking rationally as well because nothing had officially come out from the Red Sox. But the main reaction was one that the Red Sox blew their chance. Then came word later in the day that a deal still may take place without an extension being announced.
Then, the Red Sox were dealt a big blow to their free agency plans when the Washington Nationals announced that they had signed free agent outfielder Jayson Werth to a seven year, $126 million contract. And with Werth getting seven years, many thought the Red Sox were crazy for not giving Gonzalez eight years like he wanted.
But in the end, things all worked out as Heyman tweeted around 8 p.m. on Sunday night that the Red Sox and Gonzalez had come to an understanding about a contract extension that would keep him in Boston for the next seven years.
Deal is done. A gon headed to #redsox. Press conf expected tomorrow
The one catch about it all is the fact that the deal will not be announced until after opening day in the same fashion they did with Josh Beckett last year.
The reason for this is the fact that if an extension was announced before the season, the Red Sox would suffer luxury tax implications for the 2011 season. And that might cause problems in their pursuit of free agent Carl Crawford.
The deal is still the same as Kelly, Rizzo, Fuentes and a player to be named later will be going to the Padres for Gonzalez.
And after a long day of worrying, Red Sox Nation can now relax knowing that Gonzalez will be spending the next eight years in a Red Sox uniform.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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